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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22623925">The Alternative</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/nickel_1321/pseuds/nickel_1321'>nickel_1321</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>RWBY</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Blood and Torture, Control, Corruption, F/F, Kidnapping, Post-Volume 3 (RWBY), Psychological Torture, Recovered Memories, Repressed Memories, Torture</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 08:48:15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>39,841</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22623925</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/nickel_1321/pseuds/nickel_1321</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>What if Ruby Rose had been taken by Cinder at the fall of Beacon? What if she took her to Salem to be used as an ally? What if Salem locked her memories of everything away except her name? What if Mercury was her new partner? What if Cinder and Emerald were her new teammates? What if the key to getting her memories back is headaches when she comes into contact with Weiss?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ruby Rose/Weiss Schnee</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>35</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>187</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Abduction</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Well, this is going to be the first fic I've written that I actually plan on being very lengthy. I'm gonna update when I can because college is a thing. I hope you guys enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I have a plan.” Ruby states with her usual confidence.</p><p>“You always do.” Weiss says with no amount of hesitation in her voice. She has come to completely trust her partner after everything they had been through. How could she not trust her? They both rush into the hoard of Grimm while Ruby explains her plan. </p><p>“What?! You want to go up there alone?!” Weiss trusted her partner, but even this seemed like a bad idea. </p><p>“Do you trust me?” Ruby asked looking Weiss straight into her eyes.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Do you trust me?” Ruby repeated.</p><p>“Of course I do, like no one else.” Weiss answered automatically and honestly.</p><p>“Then we know what we have to do.” Ruby states with a sense of finality in her voice.</p><p>“Alright, but you better come back you hear me?” Weiss looks at her partner with what seemed to be cold cerulean eyes but after all this time, Ruby could see the concern in them too.</p><p>“I always do.” Ruby says with her signature smile.</p><p>Weiss summons her glyphs along the entirely of the tower in front of them and silently wishes luck to her partner. ‘Damn it, Ruby, you better come back.’ Weiss turns back around to fend off any Grimm while her partner ventured up the wall.</p><p> </p><p>Ruby ran as fast as her legs could take her to reach the top of the tower. When she got to the top she froze. <em> Pyrrha. </em> She was there and then she wasn’t. Nothing more than golden dust and a memory. Gone. Just like a person’s sanity, innocence or even their memories. Ruby felt so many emotions at once. The mixture of them all felt red hot like lava flowing forth in her veins. In an instant she felt a surge of aura in her eyes and it felt just as hot as all of her emotions. Denial. Anger. Bargaining. Depression. But not acceptance. Not yet. </p><p>“WHAT?!” Cinder yells before she is engulfed in the white light. Ruby’s eyes engulf the entirety of the top of the tower in white. Cinder screams as she feels her arm and eye, searing in pain. ‘Silver eyes huh, I’m certain she will prove useful.’</p><p> </p><p>“Oh my gods…” That’s all Weiss could sputter out as she sees the top of the tower engulfed in white. She doesn’t know what it’s from but she assumes the worst-case scenario in which Ruby is in trouble. The only issue is that she is too shocked to move, glued in place. She unfreezes when she sees her partner’s slack body fall backward off the tower. </p><p>“RUBY!” Weiss unfreezes and starts using her glyphs to get her to her partner. She’s going faster than ever before but Ruby is falling too quickly. ‘Damn it, Weiss! You can’t let her die! No, I made a promise!’ Weiss starts to use her black glyphs to slow Ruby’s fall, but before Ruby’s body reaches them someone dives off the top of the tower and has caught Ruby before she hit the ground. <em> Cinder </em>. Weiss stopped dead in her tracks, mere feet from where Cinder now stood with her partner’s limp body. Anger and panic intertwined are pounding in her veins. It wasn’t until now that she noticed Cinder’s eye and arm searing with flames. ‘So I guess that white light was Ruby…’ Weiss thought to herself as she tries to figure out how to get her partner away from the other woman. She had been slung over one of Cinder’s shoulders like yesterday’s laundry. This made Weiss even angrier than she already was. She steps forward to attack, but steps back as Cinder raises a flaming hand to Ruby as a warning. ‘What do I do! I can’t attack or she’ll hurt Ruby but if I don’t she’ll… wait what will she do exactly?’</p><p>“What do you plan on doing with her?” Weiss says trying to hide her trepidation, but wanting answers nonetheless.</p><p>“Hmm, yes what will I do?” Cinder says in a smug tone that annoys Weiss to no end.</p><p>“Before anything else, I plan to get payback for what she’s done to me hehehe. But after that, I’ll t- Hmm. You’ll know when the time comes <em> Miss Schnee </em>.” Cinder says as she creates a portal behind her. Weiss’s eyes widen in fear. ‘No, she can’t take Ruby away with her. No, no, no, no, no.’</p><p>“Wait!” Weiss shouted but she was too late, Cinder was already gone. So was her partner. Ruby was gone and she hadn’t been able to save her. Weiss dropped onto her knees and let tears fall she had thought long since dried up. ‘What did she mean by I’ll know when the time comes? How long did she plan on keeping her? I still don’t know what she’s gonna do with her! And what did Cinder mean by get payback? Did she mean torture?’ All the color drained from Weiss’s face at the thought. ‘This is all my fault, I can’t even save her now. I have no way of tracking down Cinder and haven’t the foggiest of where to start searching.’ Weiss stood and made her way back to the others knowing she needed to let them know what had happened.</p><p> </p><p>Back at the airships, she was able to get onto the last one with Blake, Yang, and Jaune. Weiss was quiet for most of the trip back down, but when they started to near she looked to Jaune.</p><p>“... Jaune, listen to me. Pyrrha is dead and Ruby was taken by Cinder.” This elicited a shocked look from Jaune. “I don’t know what she plans to do with her, but I don’t know where to start to track her down. We need to start as soon as possible. I’m so sorry about Pyrrha.” Jaune only nodded in agreement now with anger of his own at the new knowledge. He wanted nothing more than to avenge his dead lover and get his friend back.</p><p>“... We’ll kill her.”</p><p>
  <em>A few days later,</em>
</p><p>“What!? No, I won’t go back to Atlas!” Weiss didn’t understand how she could possibly go back to Atlas while Ruby was still out there with Cinder.</p><p>“I’m… afraid you don’t have a choice in the matter. You will come back to Atlas whether you like it or not.” Jacques states in his usual menacing tone. </p><p>“Bu-!” Weiss begins to protest.</p><p>“Weiss! That's final!” Jacques yells at his daughter. Weiss can only turn away from him in hopes of subduing her anger. She knew there was no way out of this and she couldn’t even try to run at this point. </p><p>Weiss was taken back to Atlas. Blake ran away from everyone. Yang was disabled and in a spiraling depression. Ruby… well, Ruby is in for one hell of a nightmare.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Torture</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ruby awakens to find that she has been captured by Cinder. Cinder has plans to make Ruby pay for what the girl's eyes did her. Mercury, Emerald, and Cinder talk about who Ruby's new partner should be.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Ahh thank you guys so much for the support on the previous chapter. This chapter is almost entirely about the physical torture of Ruby so just be warned before you read this one. The next chapter will be more focused on the psychological pain Ruby will go through and losing her memories.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Have you finally woken up little Red? It’s about time, I’ve been waiting for days.” Cinder asks with a smirk on her face. ‘Days? Have I really been out that long?’ Ruby finally looks around at her surroundings to find that she’s in some sort of room. She sees Emerald and Mercury by the door with Cinder in front of her at a table. She tries to stand up but realizes she strapped to a chair with her hands tied to the chair arms and her legs tied to the chair legs. Panic finally starts to fully set in as she realizes the situation she’s in. Ruby looks around and struggles against her bindings trying to find a way out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh there’s no escaping Red, and even if you did there’s nowhere for you to run.” Cinder says without looking at the girl. “First I’m going to pay you back for the number you did on my arm and eye.” Cinder says motioning to her injuries. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Emerald. Mercury. Leave us.” Cinder flashes a menacing smile and laughs maniacally at the poor girl. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Will do. Try not to kill her, Salem still has a use for her.” Mercury states with a chuckle as the pair leave the room leaving the door to close with a bang. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why don’t we get started, huh?” Before she begins she takes a white cloth and ties it behind Ruby’s head so she can’t see anything. Cinder wants her to be completely vulnerable and have no idea what they’re in for. She makes her way back to the table and picks up a whip and turns to the poor girl. She begins to whip the girl across her entire body causing large and deep lacerations. Ruby’s screams echo off the walls and bounce back into Cinder’s ears like music. Cinder laughs like a psychopath as she continues to hit the girl harder and harder but making sure to avoid her eyes. Ruby screams and tries to kick her legs and move her arms. She has a constant stream of tears going down her face as she resists against her binds. Ruby can feel the stinging pain from the lacerations and can feel it hurt with the wet blood that is now on Cinder’s whip. What seemed to be hours of whipping came to an end after only half an hour. Ruby’s arms and ankles were worn raw where she fought against her bindings so hard. Ruby no longer had tears but not because it didn’t hurt but due to the fact that she didn’t have any more to give. She’s reduced to a sniveling mess and gasping for air. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“P-p..please… no...no more.” Ruby stutters out between gasps of air. Her begging puts a smile on Cinder’s face of pure pleasure. Cinder then summons two daggers in each hand. She’s glad to have her Grimm hand back and begins walking towards the girl. She sticks one through each of the girl’s hands to elicit a bloodcurdling scream from the girl.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ahh, that will do. That’s what I was waiting for. I can’t wait to become your new teammate hahaha.” Cinder walks out of the door leaving the girl to suffer in silence. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Weiss flinched as if something had inflicted pain in her hands but obviously nothing did. She sat in her room looking out the window like she had done for the past 3 days. She thought about Ruby almost entirely since being back in Atlas but she couldn’t shake the feeling that the pain she had just felt was linked to her. Weiss knew how ridiculous that sounded but she just couldn’t shake the gut feeling she got at that moment. ‘Ruby… Where are you? Please don’t get yourself killed…” She knew the girl wasn’t saved yet because she had Klein keeping an ear open if there was any news of Ruby’s rescue. Much to Weiss’s disappointment there had been no news.  </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Enter.” Cinder steps into the room to be met with the faces of Watts, Tyrian, Emerald, Mercury, Hazel, and Salem. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Have you finished?” Salem states in her usual monotonous voice. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes ma’am, We should be able to start the mental deterioration portion within the next few days.” Cinder states with pride as she takes her seat. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Excellent. You have done very well Cinder. Can you send your members to clean up the girl and lock her in the room that has been prepared?” Cinder nods at Emerald and Mercury. They leave with satisfying smirks on their faces. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You want me to do it or you?” Emerald asks Mercury looking at the mess that is now Ruby Rose.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll do it with pleasure.” Mercury states with a deranged smile. He takes his hand and hits the girl behind the head to knock her out. “Perfect.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“... Mercury do you really think they’ll be able to make her fight for us? I mean what can they do to completely change someone like that?” Emerald asks as she stops wiping the blood up off the ground.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know. I honestly have no idea what they could have up their sleeves to pull that off. But, if they are able to turn Red here into an ally, she’s gonna be one hell of an ally. Although it might take a while, I think I could actually work pretty well with her.” Mercury says honestly as he turns to give his full attention to Emerald. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Heh, sounds like you’ve already paired up with her. It’s up to Cinder, keep that in mind. I do agree with you though I think that she’ll be a powerful ally to have in the upcoming months.” Emerald says returning to scrubbing up the blood. Mercury has finished untying the girl and has her bridal style. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I say with me because her silver eyes would hurt Cinder if they were to be partners… I can’t wait to start training with her though.” Mercury says with a smile as he leaves to drop the girl off in her room.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mercury straps Ruby to a chair in her new room and locks the door on his way out. By the time Mercury makes it back to the conference hall, Emerald is already there having finished cleaning up. Everyone else has left except, Emerald, Salem, and Cinder.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How do you intend on changing Red?” Cinder asks Salem as she was still in the dark about that process herself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hehehe, well child I’m going to lock her memories away so that she can’t see them. They will still be there but the girl won’t be able to recall them. At that point, she will be a blank canvas for us to shape her into the new Ruby Rose.” Salem finishes with a smile full of pride. Cinder, Mercury, and Emerald were left in shock as they never knew such a thing was even possible. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“...Genius. Nothing could be more perfect for the girl.” Cinder says after a few moments of silence had fallen. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You three are dismissed, we will have our hands full in a few days time.” Salem states as she leaves the conference hall. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Cinder, do you truly think we can turn little Red?” Emerald asks still curious to know what she thinks.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“... Yes I do, and I think she will make one of the best allies so far. Speaking of Red, I want to talk about our team. Who do you two think Red would work best with, out of the three of us?” Cinder asks as she looks between the other two. Emerald and Mercury look at each for a moment before they both answer.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mercury.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Cinder was a little shocked that they both had already agreed upon someone but nods nonetheless.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How did you two come to that decision?” Cinder asks knowing they both had already talked about this prior to this conversation.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If she was your partner, her silver eyes would provide an issue for you.” Mercury states stepping forward a bit. He has no idea why he feels the need to take Ruby under his wing but he does.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ah, that is a very valid point. We want her to be able to use those eyes in a fight and having me there would be an issue. Then it's settled. Mercury, you and Red will be partners and Emerald and I will become the other pair. Together we form team Mercury or MERC for short. Rest up. We are going to need both of you when we start to deteriorate poor Red’s mind.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why will you need us?” Mercury asked genuinely confused about how they would be of any use in this situation.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mercury you will be there as muscle support and Emerald will be taking on the form of friends and family to tear the girl down. I’ll give you more instructions at a later date.” Cinder states and exits the conference hall with the other two in tow.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Mental Deterioration</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Salem has to tear down Ruby's mental state before she can lock her memories away. The other three members on team RWBY have a bad feeling.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Wow this is actually my first fic that I've been writing a plan out for on paper. I'm trying to work everything in so hopefully it sounds as good as I have it in my head.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Awaken Ruby, it’s time.” Salem stands in front of the girl that now has wounds that will scar across most of her body as seen through her tattered clothes. The most notable is the one that runs across the right side of her face, spanning from her jaw to the middle of her cheek. There are others that run along her arms, legs, and abdomen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“W-what’s going on?” Ruby asks with what she hopes is resolve but you can hear the fear laced in her voice too. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My dear child, you have nothing to worry about. We are going to take care of you. We even have your friends that have come to say hello.” Salem then turns towards the door as Blake walks in. Well, “Blake” is actually just Emerald who has practiced her performance of all of the most important people in Ruby’s life over the past few days.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>B...Blake?! How are you here? I thought you were hurt!” Ruby replies with her eyes widening at the sight of her former teammate. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m all healed up. Shouldn’t you be more worried about yourself? I mean you abandoned your partner to go fight a fight you knew you couldn’t win. What kind of person would do that? Certainly not anyone I would ever associate with.” Blake says as she turns her back to Ruby. Ruby’s stomach drops with everything that the girl says.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“W-well I… I was trying to help Pyrrha! I-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you really think you could ever help anyone? Pyrrha? Me? Yang?... Weiss? No. You can’t because you’re too weak.” Blake leaves a wide-eyed Ruby and a happy Salem behind. Emerald takes a minute to change into Yang outside before stepping back inside. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow sis, I knew you were pitiful but this is a new low even for you.” Yang states as she walks up to Ruby. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Y-Yang… you don’t mean that! You don’t! You said I was a great leader! Remember…” Ruby now had tears coming down her face as she heard everything she never wanted to out of the people she loved the most.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hahahaha, oh sis, you’re too easy. I only said those things so I could get through Beacon. I never actually believe any of it. I knew you were the worst leader there and not just because you were two years younger, but because you were just genuinely the worst student there.” Yang said with a smirk as she backed up a bit from the younger girl.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But… Yang, you’re my sister…” Ruby’s tears were now heavier than before as they stained her cheeks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know what they say… keep your friends close and your enemies closer.” That's the last thing Yang says as she leaves the room. Emerald takes a minute to catch her breath before her final transformation. Back in the other room, Salem was doing her best to “console” the near broken Ruby Rose.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dear girl I’m so sorry. I never knew bringing them here would cause you such anguish. Perhaps I shouldn't let Miss Schnee in…” Salem trails off knowing she’s almost got the girl where she wants her before she begins locking her memories away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“N-...No. Let Weiss in. P-please…” Ruby pleads hoping Weiss didn’t feel like her other two teammates did. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Very well… If you insist… Miss Schnee, you may enter.” Salem says as she turns around to the door with a shit-eating grin. “Weiss” walks in and Ruby immediately gasps as she sees her partner before her with her arms crossed. There is an uncomfortable silence minus Ruby’s sniveling until “Weiss” speaks up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...Disgusting. You are an absolutely disgusting sight. I can’t believe I was dragged all the way here to see the likes of you.” Ruby swears she feels her heart stop at that moment. She has full streams of tears at this point and can’t believe her partner was saying this to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“W-Weiss… what are you saying… You… You aren’t even real! That must be it! You… you would never say something like that to me…” Ruby tries to reason with herself more than the Weiss in the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Heh, if I’m not real how can I do this?” Weiss struts across the room and slaps Ruby hard across the face causing a severe burning sensation on her still new wound from the whippings.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“!... You…” Ruby turns toward Salem to look her in the eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You… you’re making them say these things!! They… they would never…” Ruby is more pleading with herself now to get herself out of this hell.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hahaha, of course, you would make an excuse for you to avoid the truth. The truth is that I hate you, I always have. Why would I, a Schnee, </span>
  <b>ever</b>
  <span> give two shits about someone like you? I was forced into being your partner and on your team. Those months that I had to spend on that gods' forsaken team were the worst of my life. Give up Ruby, realize that you have no friends, your own sister even hates you.” With that “Weiss” turns to make her way out of the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...What about your promise? Was that a lie too?” Ruby’s tears had dried but she felt an immense amount of sorrow and helplessness. Emerald froze for a second not knowing what Ruby was talking about but she didn’t need to.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course it was.” With that Weiss left and Emerald collapsed from exhaustion from using her power so much. Ruby was broken. She had stopped fighting her restraints but her wrists and ankles were still bleeding from earlier. She just sat with her head down to where her face was covered by her hair. After a moment of complete silence, Salem walked over to the girl and bent down to her level.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My dear girl… I’m so sorry. I never would have brought them here had I known that this would have been the outcome.” Ruby rose her head to look at Salem with dull and pained silver eyes. “...I can make the pain go away my poor girl.” With that statement, there was a spark of hope in the girl’s eyes as she looked into Salem’s red ones.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really?” Ruby asked almost pleadingly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes… I can take all of this pain away, you just have to ask and I can do it for you.” Salem says trying to coerce the girl into her deal. Ruby wanting nothing more than for the pain to go away nods her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes… please, take away the pain.” Salem smiles and tells Mercury, who had been behind Ruby this entire time without her knowing it, to leave them. Once Mercury has left Salem turns her full attention to the broken soul in front of her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright child relax, I’m going to take away anything that has ever hurt you.” Salem brings her hands up to Ruby’s temples and gets ready to start the process. Mercury and Emerald give each other a smirk knowing that it was time for the memory lock to begin. Ruby lets out blood-curdling screams almost in constant succession as Salem has to take every memory, Ruby has ever had and puts it behind a massive door that will never open again. Ruby screams and screams until she thinks she has nothing left to give until she feels another sweet memory fall from her grasp and screams harder at the pain in her head. She should have known better than to take up this deal but she can’t deny that every time a bad memory is gone through her fingers, like grains of sand, it actually relieves some of her pain. It only takes mere moments but soon it's completely silent and what's left is a tired Salem and a blank slate passed out in front of them. The only thing she allowed Ruby to remember was her name.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Back in Anima three people get the same gut feeling all at the same time although unbeknownst to each other. Weiss is sitting in her room like she usually can be found these days, Blake is on a boat back to Menagerie, and Yang has just gotten up to let Zwei outside to use the bathroom. All three of them are hit with an intense feeling of nausea making them all three double over. They all have an intense sense of loss along with nausea and the same thought enters all of their minds, Ruby Rose. Blake is the first to get back to her feet thanks to the railing and she can’t help but flatten her ears as she looks back towards where the continent of Anima is. She wonders what could have become of Ruby or if she had even been found yet. Yang gets back to her feet by pulling herself up using the door handle. She feels an immense sense of guilt at the thought that Ruby could still be in the clutches of Cinder. She can’t shake the feeling that something terrible had just happened to her sister and that causes a chill to run its way throughout her body. Weiss was the last of the trio to get back to her feet for the fact that it had hit her harder than the other two. She remembered a few days ago something along these lines happening to her but with a pain in her hands. When she could stand again she realizes she has broken out into a sweat. She looks out her giant window wondering if Ruby was alright or if she’d ever see the girl again. She can’t shake the feeling that something dreadfully terrible just happened. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. The Awakening</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ruby wakes up after having her memories locked away to comfort in a man who calls himself Mercury.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Ruby slept for almost 2 days since her memories had been locked away. She awoke to an odd room and a man asleep, sitting in a chair across the room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...Hello? Um, sir?” Ruby says not sure if she should disturb the man but she had absolutely no idea where she was so what other option did she really have?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...Hmm? Oh! Shit, you’re actually awake!” Mercury jumps from where he’s been sitting to walk over to Ruby.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uhm, Where… where am I?” Ruby asks the obvious hoping to get a lot of answers out of the man. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re at Salem’s palace, she’s our leader. Don’t worry you’re perfectly safe here.” Mercury states in a strangely comforting tone, one that he’s not used to.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, um okay… sorry, this is just all so new to me.” Ruby says with a nervous smile and rubs behind her neck sheepishly. “I’m Ruby, what’s your name?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My name’s Mercury, I’m your partner.” Mercury says with a comforting smile, one that he’s had time to practice while the girl has been out cold. “We both work for Salem, but our team name is Mercury or MERC. Our other two teammates are Emerald and Cinder. Do you want me to go get them?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yea, if you wouldn’t mind Mercury.” Ruby gives a small smile as he leaves to go grab the two. She takes the time to finally look around as she sees a red cloak on the back of the chair the man had been sitting on earlier. She feels strangely drawn toward it but shakes her head when the friendly man returns with a tan woman with green hair and another woman with fierce eyes and black hair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah, I see you are finally awake. You gave us quite the scare last mission Ruby, we thought you were a goner.” The black-haired woman says with a sorrowful look on her face. The girl with green hair rushes forward and envelopes her in a bear hug with a vice grip.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t ever do that to me again Ruby! I was worried sick! I don’t know if I could have handled losing you!” Emerald cried knowing the plan was working tremendously. Ruby was taken aback, obviously something had gone wrong and she had scared these people half to death.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I-I’m so sorry. I don’t remember anything besides my name but… if you could explain to me what’s happened maybe I’ll remember something.” Ruby says looking over the green-haired girl’s shoulder to Mercury.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mercury nods at her and pulls up the chair with the cloak from earlier on it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We had gone on a mission to take out a group of enemies and you were trying to fend them off my back. You took an extremely brutal hit to the head and passed out. The three of us were able to escape with our lives with you in tow. When we got back here we let you sleep it off and now here we are. Do you… do you remember anything?” that was a double meaning question that all three of them needed to be answered. There was an uncomfortable silence that hung in the room while Ruby appeared to be thinking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I… I’m so sorry you three, but… I don’t remember any of that…” Emerald, Mercury, and Cinder would have smiled at the comment had Ruby not been looking at them, but they knew that their plan had worked. By this point, Emerald had released the girl and sat on the edge of the bed with Cinder. Mercury got up and gave Ruby a hug while smiling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay… don’t push yourself too hard. What matters is that you’re here now and we are back together.” Mercury says with genuinity in his voice. Needless to say, the other two girls were shocked with Mercury doing that as he had never acted like this before. They had grown slightly suspicious over the past week over why Mercury took to the girl so easily. Cinder made it her mission to ask the guy after this. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I… I thank you, Mercury. I hope I can still be the partner you’ve talked me up to be.” Ruby says genuinely and hugging the guy back. “If you don’t mind me asking… Which one of you is Cinder and which one is Emerald?” Ruby asks after she had separated from Mercury. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m Cinder, I'm glad to have you back Ruby.” Cinder says with a warm motherly smile as she also gives the girl a hug.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That leaves me, I’m Emerald. You’ll be back to yourself in no time!” Emerald says as she gives the girl a smile. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Here, here’s some new clothes since yours got ruined in the last mission.” Mercury hands the girl a new set of red, black and white clothes along with the red cape that had been on the back of the chair earlier. “You’ve got a brush and a mirror over there.” Mercury says pointing to the desk across the room. “We’ll let you have a moment to yourself. When you’re ready just knock on your door I’ll be outside waiting for you.” Mercury says with a slight smile. Ruby thanks him and returns the smile. The trio exits the room all with the same smug look on their faces as they look at each other.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It worked. This is a magnificent step towards our goal… Mercury, why are you so drawn towards the girl?” Cinder asks as Emerald also gives him a questioning look.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She… she just acts like the little sister I always wanted but never had.” Mercury says with a shrug.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow Mercury, I never knew you had a soft side.” Emerald says with a laugh and elbows him. She’s met with a look of annoyance from Mercury. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Anyway, when she’s done getting ready bring her to the conference room with the rest of us.” Cinder says as Emerald and herself leave for the conference room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Will do.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ruby finishes getting into her gear and notices how right it felt. It was different than what she had on previously, but it feels like an upgraded her. She finishes brushing her hair letting her bangs sweep across her sight and looks in the mirror at herself. She notices a now healing wound across her face like the ones she had seen on her body when she had gotten dressed. ‘That really must have been one hell of a mission huh?’ Ruby chuckled at the thought and put on her cloak which smelled of rose petals. She gave a small smile in the mirror before moving towards the door. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>*Knock* “Hey Mercury, I’m ready now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alrighty, come on out.” Mercury says as he unfolds his arms. “Heh, the new gear doesn’t look half bad on you Red.” Ruby gives him a confused look and he quickly covers himself up. “Uh- that's the nickname I always call you, heh. Sorry I forgot you don’t really remember anything.” Mercury says with a nervous smile and rubs the back of his neck. Ruby smiles a little and nods in understanding. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Soo… did I have a nickname for you?” Ruby asks curiously.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh? Oh… well actually now that you mention it, no you didn’t.” Mercury says returning to a normal state while talking with the girl. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How about Merc? I mean that's the team name and all too, ya know?” Ruby says with a cheeky smile. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ya know what, I’ll take you up on the offer.” He says with a cheeky grin of his own. They both let out a light chuckle before Mercury starts leading the way to the conference room. They walk for a little bit in comfortable silence before they reach two giant doors.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You ready to meet our leader?” Mercury asks looking back at Ruby.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yea, as ready as I’ll ever be I guess.” Ruby says with a small sigh as Mercury pushes open the doors.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Back to Basics</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Mercury reintroduces Salem to Ruby while that have a talk about where to go from here. Ruby has to retrain her body to remember how to fight properly.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Once again thank you for the support on this fic I honestly can't thank you guys enough. Also comments are greatly appreciated even if they are criticism, I do want to improve my writing after all.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Ah Ruby, It’s so great to have you back. The rest of you are dismissed” Salem she looks to three men in the room. One of the men had a scorpion tail, another looked like a wooden board and the third looked almost like a beast but she wouldn’t voice any of this of course. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Um, yes ma’am. I’m glad to be back.” Ruby says still nervous at the woman in front of her. She has red eyes and her veins are popping out with red in them too. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do not worry child, there is nothing to be afraid of. Cinder tells me that you have lost your memory. It hurts me deeply that you no longer remember us, but I know we can rebuild our relationship.” The woman says with an easy smile. Ruby feels herself relaxing a bit at the woman’s words.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes ma’am, I would like that.” Ruby says walking into the room a bit more than she had let herself do earlier. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Splendid, when you feel like you’re ready, you and Mercury may go train together to start relearning all that you have forgotten.” Salem finishes with a motherly smile. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes ma’am! I’d love to start right away!” Ruby turns to Mercury as if silently asking if they could go now. Mercury gives her a light chuckle and shakes his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Always the eager one. Let me go get your weapon and I’ll meet you back here in five.” Mercury says pushing off the wall he had been leaning on and leaves to go obtain Crescent Rose.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ruby my child, Although your mind may not remember how to fight your body surely will. It has retained the muscle memory of all those years you spent training. I hope training with your partner not only brings back the familiar feeling to your mind but also to better yourself while training with him.” Salem says as she turns around to face Ruby once more. Salem has high hopes of making Ruby a deadly killer while having control over her and making her leagues better than any of those Beacon brats that survived the fall. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course ma’am, I want nothing more than to be useful to you all. I am grateful for the patience you have shown me as I have been adjusting to the loss of my memory. I can’t wait to go on a mission once I’ve regained my memory of fighting with Mercury!” Ruby states as she stands a little taller.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is that right Red? Catch. Let’s go get started then. I’m just as eager as you are.” Mercury says with a chuckle as he tosses the compacted Crescent Rose to Ruby. They had retrieved the weapon before anyone from Beacon could when they began searching for the girl. Ruby started a light jog after Mercury as he led her to the training grounds in the middle of the palace.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That boy looks genuinely happy, much happier than I’ve ever seen him.” Salem comments to Cinder after the duo had left.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That he is.” Is all Cinder comments with a small smile of her own. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well maybe this turn of events is good for more than just getting another ally, but good for that boy too.” Salem says as she still has a small part of her that has that motherly love in her. She silently hopes that boy bonds with the new Ruby Rose.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So do I, I think it’ll make him a better fighter to have her at his side. He thinks of her as a sister that he never had the chance to have.” Cinder comments absentmindedly. Salem has a sad smile remembering her own kids that were no longer with her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mercury and Ruby reached the training grounds in a matter of minutes and Ruby takes a minute to take in the entirety of the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whoa… It’s massive…” Ruby says still looking around.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yea, it gives us plenty of space to work with. Alright let’s take a look at your weapon first. Can you get it out of its compact form?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh, let me look… hmm, this looks like it mi- Oh! Yea that was it.” Crescent Rose extends to its famous scythe form as Ruby finds her grip as if it’s second nature.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Great. Now you can just set that to the side for now. I’m going to teach you hand to hand combat first and then we’ll move on to your weapon. Hand to hand combat is going to be crucial especially if you find yourself in a situation without your weapon.” Sadly hand to hand combat was Ruby’s worst area of training so this was going to take a while. They started out pretty simple as Mercury could tell the girl wasn’t very good at this. He never once got angry though like one might expect him too. He gave criticism which the girl took seriously and applied it the next time she got back up. They trained for weeks, day in and day out. From the time after they had breakfast to the time where neither of them could stand anymore at night.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After a month of this intensive training, she finally bested Mercury. Mercury had started out with fists which she dodged with grace whether it be with flips or just moving out of the way. She started her own assault landing a couple of hits with her fists to his torso when one connected and sent him flying backward. He rushed at her with a flurry of kicks which most she couldn’t dodge but she connected some of them with her own bout of kicks. She ended up catching him off guard and swung an uppercut to catch him in the jaw but Mercury dodged just in time. She flew in the air to land an overhead kick but he caught her foot and threw her towards the fair wall which she landed on. She used the momentum to push off the wall to hit him in the gut sending him back a few feet. Mercury started his own assault towards her of a flurry of kicks from the same leg. This would be his mistake. She caught his ankle in her hand and threw him across the arena. He hit the wall and fell to the floor. Before he could get back up Ruby was on top of him with her fists at his throat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gotcha.” Ruby said with a shit-eating grin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gotta hand it to ya Red, that was pretty badass.” Mercury says with a chuckle as Ruby helps him to his feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s take five and then we can start with my weapon training… finally.” Ruby was eager to start training with her weapon. Although she hadn’t told Mercury, she had been training with it in secret in the dead of night so he would be proud of her when they started. It was her little surprise for him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sounds good, I’m gonna grab a water do you want one?” Mercury asks as he’s leaving.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yea that’d be great, thanks Merc.” Ruby makes her way over to Crescent Rose and pulls the lever to release it from its compact form. Mercury returned and tossed a water in Ruby’s direction. She caught it and they both took a long drink of water before setting their bottles down and returning to their training. Mercury will admit that training with Ruby over this past month has made him a better fighter too.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, you ready to give a test run? I’m gonna summon some fake Grimm and I want you to show me what you can do.” Mercury pulls a remote out of his pocket and summons some fake Grimm, but they hurt just like the real thing if they touch you. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was born ready.” Ruby says and she balances her scythe along her back and twirls it into an attacking position. Mercury was shocked to say the least at how easy it was for the other girl to control the large weapon. Before he could even comment on it, she was shooting around the room at breakneck speed as she annihilated any Grimm in her way. She would propel herself in different directions by firing Crescent Rose and riding it. In mere seconds all 8 of the Grimm had been annihilated leaving a speechless Mercury and a smug Ruby. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well Merc? Impressed?” Ruby says with another smug, shit-eating grin as she looked at Mercury’s mouth agape. Mercury walks over to Ruby and picks her up into a hug to Ruby’s surprise.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mercury?! Put me down damn it!” Although she was trying to sound intimidating, with both of them laughing so hard it didn’t exactly come off that way.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ruby! That was awesome! I never knew you had been practicing with that too!” Mercury says as he puts the other girl down. “You want to know what I really think?” Mercury says looking straight into the girl’s eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Ruby asks genuinely having no idea what the guy was going to say.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think it’s time for your first mission.”Mercury says with a smile spreading across his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hell yea! It’s about time! Let’s go tell Salem!” Ruby grabs Mercury by the arm and the two make their way to the conference room.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. First Mission</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ruby gets assigned her first mission from Salem for her and Mercury to head to a town in the Mistral region.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So I was watching this RWBY AMV and I realized that the song fit the new Ruby of Team Merc so well. It's called This Little Girl by Cady Groves. I'm not particularly in love with the song but I did feel like it fit the new Ruby lmao. ANYWAY thank you guys for the support it honestly helps my confidence in my writing abilities lol. Enjoy the chapter!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“You may enter.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Salem! Mercury says I’m ready for my first mission!” Ruby explains, ecstatic at the thought of finally going on her first mission.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is this true? Is she truly ready to start going on missions?” Salem asks looking at Mercury. She can’t wait to start shaping this girl into the deadly killer she will be.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, ma’am. She beat me in hand to hand combat this morning and she took out 8 Grimm in only seconds with her weapon.” Mercury states with a proud grin on his face and his arms crossed across his chest. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Excellent. You have done stupendously over this past month Ruby. I’m very proud of the progress you’ve made thus far and for this feat, I will give you a mission immediately. Although it may not be the flashiest of missions it will give you some real combat experience. I need the two of you to go exterminate some Grimm surrounding a remote village near Mistral. Although exterminating Grimm is the opposite of what we usually want, this time it serves a different purpose. Once you have completed it make sure to be thanked by the village elder so that we are in his good graces. We want them to be in our debt in case we need one of our members to lay low. Do you two understand the objective?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, ma’am! We’ll be back before you know it!” Ruby states with her head held high with pride. She can’t wait to make her leader proud of her. They make their way out of the conference room and down towards their rooms. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright Red, let's grab what we need from our rooms and meet back here.” Mercury makes his way towards his room to pack a bag of anything they might need: Medical supplies, water, food, a blanket, a map. Ruby makes her way to her room with Crescent Rose on her back and takes a look in her mirror. Her previous laceration had healed into a deep scar but she didn’t mind. She liked that it showed growth in her character. She grabbed her cloak and packed a bag of her own. Ruby only packed food and water because she knew Mercury would take care of the other things. She had really come to bond with her partner over the past month. Even if she couldn’t remember anything prior she knows that it doesn’t matter because they’re here now making new memories. Ruby made her way back to the end of the hall where she was set to meet Mercury before they venture out on their mission.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You ready to head out?” Ruby hears behind her as she turns on her heel to find Mercury.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“As I’ll ever be. Lead the way.” Mercury turns and they head for the exit.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Merccc, how much longer?” Ruby sighs in exasperation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ve gotta be almost there, stop your complaining.” Mercury says with a light chuckle as they trudge through some pretty thick snow. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, alright.” Ruby says with a small grin knowing she was annoying him but she loved the reaction she always got out of him. They continued to make their way through the snow through the forest when they finally saw a break in the trees. They could see a village in the distance and they both sighed in relief.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, it’s about damn time…” Mercury sighs as he picks up his pace ever so slightly. They made their way over to the village and were greeted by smiling faces ushering them into the inn for some warmth. Once they had settled down in front of the fire and set their bags down, they asked the tavern owner for the village elder. He points beside the pair to a man drinking alone at the bar. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sir? We’ve come to help with your Grimm problem.” Ruby states getting the man’s attention. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh? Is that so? Are you Hunters?” The man glances at the two after tearing his gaze away from the drink in front of him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh-” Ruby starts but is cut off by Mercur putting a hand over her mouth and stepping forward.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not exactly, we would just like to lend a hand.” Mercury says with a straight face. “If you would be so kind as to point us in the right direction, we could start helping your village in the morning.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well that’s mighty kind of ya son. We would be in your debt if you would give us a hand. They’re to the southeast of town, the opposite direction you and your partner came trudging in from.” Ruby gives a small dark smile when the man says ‘in your debt’ as she knows Salem will be very pleased with them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ll start first thing in the morning sir.” Mercury gives the man’s hand a shake and nods his head at him. The pair leave the bar and return to their bags by the fire. They make their way upstairs to where they'd be staying for the night before setting their stuff down to get settled in. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alrighty Red, make sure to get some sleep. You’ll need your strength in the morning. If I wake up and you’re still up I won’t go easy on you.” Mercury says with a small snort as he rolls over in his bed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yea, yea I hear ya Merc.” Ruby says with a snort of her own. She knows he’s serious but they joke like this all the time. She can tell that he cares deep down which leaves a small smile on her lips at the thought. Tomorrow she gets to start her first mission, she can barely contain her excitement. Combat always made her feel the most alive.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Her Hunger Grows</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ruby and Mercury make their way to the sight of several Grimm to have a bit of fun.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Hey, Red, wake up. It’s time to start your first mission.” Mercury shakes the girl lightly in her bed. Ruby stirs ever so slightly and rolls over to find Mercury opening the curtains causing her to wince.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ugh… what time is it?” Ruby asks sleepily as she sits up rubbing her eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Time for you to get up that's for damn sure haha.” Mercury jokes as he tosses her bag at her. She catches it but it still has the desired effect of waking her up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You should have been a comedian.” Ruby says while rolling her eyes at her partner’s attempt at a joke. She gets up nonetheless and puts her shoes on while fixing her hair slightly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You think so too? Wow, I never knew anyone else thought so.” Mercury says in a smug and sarcastic tone. Ruby just scoffs at him before picking up her bag and Crescent Rose. Mercury snorts in response and picks up his own bag as they leave the room to make their way to the southeast of town. They walk to the edge of the forest before getting their weapons ready and heading into the forest. They both know to be quiet so that they would be able to gain the upper hand in their fight, even if they didn’t need it. Ruby insisted that it was better to be safe than sorry. They are a good half-mile into the forest when they spot their targets. A group of Beringels. Mercury gave a nod to Ruby and they began their strategy of surrounding the beasts on both sides before engaging. Once they were in place, Mercury signaled the attack and they both rushed through the trees taking out a single Grimm each as the other 8 Beringels realized they were under attack. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mercury went for the next two nearest to him while Ruby changed Crescent Rose into its scythe form. She charged the three that had started their way over towards her. Mercury sends a flurry of shots from his leg at the two in front of him, which incapacitate them enough for him to deliver the final kick to their heads before moving on to the next one coming towards him. Ruby easily takes out the first by dodging the attack and swiping her scythe upward to decapitate the gorilla. She then uses her scythe to fire behind her and give her momentum propelling her towards the two oncoming gorillas, before doing a horizontal triple spin with her scythe’s momentum to cut the two Grimm in half. Leaving the final 2 charging towards her, Ruby got a hungry glint in her eyes and her smile grew into one that indicated her pleasure in the killing she was doing. She shot herself up into the air before shooting back down and landing on the shoulders of one of the gorillas. She lets her smile grow wider as she fires again causing her scythe to shoot through the gorillas head, decapitating another one. She turned her attention to her last toy, er </span>
  <em>
    <span>target,</span>
  </em>
  <span> and she hit it with the side of her scythe causing it to fly away from her. Her target ended up flying into Mercury’s as he was about to deal the final blow and killing both of them. He looked at her slightly annoyed that she took his prey but only laughed when he saw the smug look on her face. They both let out a good laugh as they looked around at the empty site of what mere moments ago had been a Grimm infested opening in the woods.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know Salem said this wasn’t the flashiest mission but I still hoped for more of a challenge. I didn’t have quite as much fun as I had hoped for.” Ruby said with a wild look in her eyes, after their laughter had subsided. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Heh, yea I know what you mean. I was hoping to have a bit more fun with them before they died.” Mercury says shrugging his shoulders. “At any rate, we should head back and collect our thanks.” Mercury says with a knowing smile that Ruby was thinking the same thing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re right Merc, although they’ll regret being in our debt.” Ruby says shrugging but returning the knowing smile of Mercury. They make their way back through the forest and back to the village and it's not even the afternoon yet. The village elder came to greet them surprised that they were back so soon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Could you not find the Grimm?” He asks concerned that he had given them false information.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We found them, they’ve been dealt with. I doubt they’ll be causing any more trouble sir.” Ruby says with a small, fake smile. She’s getting tired of being on such a simple mission and wants to get back to Salem’s palace as soon as possible. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh ho! Thank you, both of you. We are truly in your debt! If there is ever anything either of you ever need, please don’t hesitate to ask. We may be but a small humble village but we will help in any way we can.” The village elder takes Mercury’s hand and starts shaking is much to Mercury’s disgruntlement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you sir, we appreciate it. We should be on our way back home, it was nice to meet you.” Mercury manages out between his gritted teeth and a fake smile. Ruby has to control herself from laughing at the other boy’s expense. They make their way away from the village to start back home after making sure they didn’t forget anything from the inn. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They made it back to Salem’s palace within 3 days and set their bags down in their rooms. They took a minute to unpack and calm down from their mission before they met back up in the hall to make their way back to Salem in the conference hall to report their success on the mission.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Reassurance</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ruby and Mercury get their first mission to kill Hunters. Mercury gives Ruby reassurance after she asks him about something that's been bothering her.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I have papers strewn across my desk with my plans for this fic. A timeline and from Chapters 13 to 19 I have planned out what I want to go into them so hopefully, the chapters before those don't suck too bad.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Excellent. Although it was a simple mission you two performed perfectly. We certainly have them in the palm of our hand should we ever need to use that to our advantage.” Salem compliments them with a smug, but pleased tone. “Since you two did such a magnificent job I will give you another mission. This one will be more important especially for you Ruby. This is the first mission where I want you to kill a group of Hunters. Can you do it?” Salem asks with a hint of a challenge in her tone to see if Ruby was ready or not yet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes ma’am, nothing would make me happier.” Ruby says with a twitch of a smile. She is excited to finally do something productive. She’s been itching to try a kill mission since the start of the last one. “It will be done quickly and I’ll be back for another one very soon.” Ruby stands up a little taller after that so that Salem knew she was proud to have been given a more important task. Mercury had a slight smirk, glad for the new Ruby. He can’t wait to see if she can follow through with it, not that he really doubts her at this point.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good. There’s a group of about 10 Hunter’s roaming around Vale that all wear blue. They are not well known or of any renowned but they have been killing more Grimm than I would like. Kill them. Report back to me once your task is complete.” Salem says as she waves her hand to dismiss them. Ruby and Mercury make their way outside and shut the doors before Ruby squeals with excitement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Merc! We’ve finally got our first kill mission! Those Hunters are going to wish they’d never tried to resist Salem haha!” Ruby states excitedly as they make their way back to their rooms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I won’t lie, I'm excited too. I haven’t gotten a kill mission in a hot minute. I’m also excited to see what you can do Red. You gonna let me down?” Mercury says with a smug look on his face already knowing this would annoy the girl.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Like hell, I would! We’re gonna have so much fun!” Ruby says turning to face her partner after that comment. ‘As if she would ever fail something like this. I finally get to start helping Salem reach her goal!’</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright Red, I’m gonna hold you to that. We should get some rest though, it’s been a long day of traveling. We can rest up tonight and head out the day after tomorrow. Sound good?” Mercury knows that it would be wise to have a day to track and map out exactly how they’re going to go about this mission. He was the brains of the pair after all. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ugh… fine, we’re heading out at dawn the day after tomorrow though! I’m too excited!” Ruby says as she returns to her room to take a long nap.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Heh, alright works for me. Come by my room tomorrow so we can go over a plan alright?” Mercury calls after her when she retreats to her room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Will do!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yo! Up and at ‘em Red! You were the one that wanted to get up at dawn right!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m coming, give me a sec!” Ruby yells back through her door as she rushes to finish putting her things in her bag. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alrighty, I’m ready. Let’s go!” Ruby opens her door and steps out with her bag and Crescent Rose attached to her back in its compact form.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Let’s get going then it should only take us 7 days to get there.” Mercury says looking at the map as they exit the palace. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“7 whole days?” Ruby says slightly annoyed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes 7 days, don’t complain. This is your first kill mission, where’s all that excitement at huh?” Mercury says with a smirk as he continues to look at the map.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I see your point, I’m just eager to see how fast we can take them out.” Ruby says with a sinister smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Haha, me too Red, me too.” Mercury puts the map in his back pocket and they begin their trek to Vale.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Night of Day 6</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The two had just settled in around a campfire for the night, planning on making their attack tomorrow. They only left the fire lit for enough time to cook some food and then quickly stamped it out as to not give away their position. They lay opposite of each other on the ground looking up at the sky.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey Merc? Can I ask you something?” Ruby is cautious to ask this but she trusts Mercury with her life.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yea, anything. Ask away.” Neither of them moves but they keep their eyes on the sky as a sweet breeze blows along the ground keeping them cool.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Am I still the Ruby you remember from before I lost my memories? I guess what I’m trying to ask is, do you like the new me or the old me better?” Ruby asks with a little hesitation in her voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, of course, I liked you before you lost all your memories.” He says lying knowing not to let anything slip that would ever make her think otherwise of what she’s been told. “But honestly? I like the new you better.” Mercury finishes off telling her with a small smile. He couldn’t see her, but she beamed at the comment. She was glad to know that he liked her now more than he did before her memories, it made her more secure in who she was now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks, Merc.” Ruby says almost above a whisper. Mercury almost didn’t hear her but his lips twitched up ever so slightly at the comment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Anytime.” With that, they fell into a comfortable silence and fell asleep to get some rest for the upcoming mission that tomorrow would bring.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Scatter of Red</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ruby takes on her first kill mission with Mercury and discovers a power from her past.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Oh my dudes, I'm planning and writing future chapters and let me tell you some shit is about to go downnnn.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Hey Merc! Come on get up it’s already past sunrise!” Ruby starts shaking her partner to get him to wake up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright… sorry, guess I overslept. Let’s take five then head out.” Mercury groggily stands up before grabbing his bag to get going. They begin walking in the direction of where those Hunters should be staying. It should only be a couple of miles from where they had set up camp last night. It took them almost an hour to get to the camp but they finally spotted all of them began to wake up and eat their breakfast. Mercury and Ruby hid amongst the treeline planning talking about the strategy one more time before moving to opposite sides of the camp. At its core, it was the same plan as to when they fought the Beringles. They waited a few moments before Mercury sent a signal shot up into the air distracting the group to his side so she could make her attack behind them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ruby’s face grew into a grin as she fired her first shot killing her first target instantly. The other Hunters caught on and split their team with 4 going towards Mercury’s side and 5 going toward Ruby. Ruby wanted to have fun with this mission so instead of taking out anymore with her sniper she used it to propel herself forward right into the middle of the charging group. It surprised them and Ruby was able to swing her scythe around her and cut one of them in half. Her grin grew slightly bigger with each kill that she got as her adrenaline rushed through her veins. Mercury was having about as much fun as she was as he had engaged hand to hand combat with his first Hunter and ended up snapping the guy's neck with his legs. He had hoped on his shoulders and flipped himself around to twist the man’s neck in an inhuman way. He felt alive and the rush of adrenaline he got every time he got to go on a mission like this was addicting. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The four remaining Huntsmen that had gone after Ruby now had her surrounded but that made it all the more fun for Ruby. While one of them charged towards her, mace raised above his head, swung but she dodged. She positioned so that when she fired her sniper it sent the attacker flying back into his friend. They were a tangle of limbs a few yards away which gave her time to attack the Hunter directly to her left. She propelled herself up into the air and landed on the man's shoulders with the scythe beneath his neck. Before the man could beg for his life, she fired her sniper making the scythe recoil upward, decapitating the man. She apparently hadn’t been paying as close attention as she thought because the three remaining charged her at the same time. She felt a small twinge of fear but it caused her body to move automatically, activating her semblance. She didn’t even know that she had one until then but she stood in shock a few meters away taking in how it felt to use it so she could do it again. Her grin grew even more at this new power and quickly zipped around the remaining three hunters and took them all out with her horizontal triple spin scythe attack. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mercury had just sent one of the fools he was fighting backward with a bloody nose while he took a hold of the other man by the arm. In one fluid motion, he kicked him multiple times starting with his head before moving on to his chest torso and back to his face for the final kick. Both of his targets were lying down when he felt a rush of wind from behind him and the smell of fresh roses. He looks behind him shocked to find his partner grinning like a madwoman.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Heh, I see you learned a new trick.” Mercury says with his hands still up in a fighting position, turning back to his prey.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yea, guess this mission wasn’t a total waste.” Ruby says with her scythe resting on her shoulders. “You gonna be able to handle them Merc?” She asks with her voice in a sarcastic sing-songy tone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was just having a bit of fun.” Mercury says shrugging as he makes his way over to the two Hunters lying on the ground and uses his feet to kill them by kicking their heads.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ooooh good one Merc! Well, that was fun!” Ruby says with a now very visible grin. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Agreed. How’d you like your first kill mission?” Mercury asks as they make their way back over to their bags.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t wait for my next one.” Ruby says with a dark chuckle. Mercury is very satisfied with her answer as they pick up their bags and Mercury takes out the map. He looks at it for a minute before starting off in the direction that had come from. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on ya adrenaline junkie, we have to get back to Salem and tell her the good news.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What good news?” Ruby assumed that he meant that they completed the mission but that just didn’t seem like the news he was talking about.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That you’re ready to learn about your special power.” Mercury says looking at her silver eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“WAIT WHATTTT? I HAVE A SPECIA- HEY GET BACK HERE! YOU CAN’T JUST SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT AND THEN WALK AWAY! MERCCCC!”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. The Connections Between Us</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ruby is told of her silver-eyed power and the key to using them. It proves a bit more difficult than she first anticipated.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I didn't get the chance to write any yesterday because I was studying for a history test I had today buttt I'm definitely writing a god bit tonight even though I should be studying for my Spanish test :D.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“You both have performed exceptionally on this mission, Mercury and Ruby. I’m glad to see you have no problems following orders as well, Ruby. I was a little worried that when you awoke you may be hesitant to retake me as your leader but it seems I had nothing to worry about.” There is a pause in her speech resulting in Mercury interrupting telling her the good news.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Salem, two positives have also come out of this mission: Ruby has regained her semblance and I believe she is ready to learn about her hidden power.” Mercury had taken a step forward to show that he was serious about this.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s great little Rose, it seems you’ve made progress with Mercury these past two months.” Salem, Mercury, and Ruby turned to see that the voice belonged to Cinder who had just returned from her mission with Emerald as well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nice work Rubes, I always knew you had it in ya.” Emerald expresses with a small smirk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I presume your mission was a success as well Cinder?” Salem asks breaking up their little reunion. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes ma’am, would you like the details now or…?” Cinder wasn’t sure if it was right to discuss the matter or Ruby’s past teammates in front of her in case it caused a crack in the girl’s memories.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes child, there is no need to be nervous. You two can stay and listen to their mission details and then we can continue to discuss the topic at hand afterward. Now Cinder what did you learn about the remainders of Team JNPR, Yang, Weiss, and Blake?” There was a pause to see if Ruby had any recognition of these names but she showed none much to the relief of everyone else in the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The remainders of Team JNPR have begun their way towards Mistral with Qrow Branwen keeping an eye on them from a considerable distance behind the trio. As for the others, Yang has yet to start making any kind of actual recovery. Blake has taken a boat back to Menagerie to visit her family and Weiss is being kept like a pet in the Schnee Manor.” Cinder finishes by clearing her throat hoping she got enough information to please Salem.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I see, thank you Cinder, that has been most helpful. Now Ruby, the power Mercury and I mentioned earlier is your silver eyes. You come from a long bloodline called the Silver Eyed Warriors. They have the ability to vaporize Grimm with a single look and flash of their eyes. This ability can come in handy if you are in a tight spot and the Grimm are in the way of a mission or whatever may befall you. You have this ability, you just need to learn how to control it. You will need to think of the people in life that are closest to you, who you have a very deep connection with. You need to think of protecting those people with all of your being and never letting them down. That is the key to using your silver eyes. This will take some time to learn and you will most likely be spending most of your free time when you aren’t on missions training this ability. You are not expected to get it on the first try, learning to master this will take months of training. Are you prepared to spend all of your time, when not on missions, training this skill?” Salem finished her explanation with a challenge to Ruby.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is certainly a lot to take in at one time, but I do understand. I accept the responsibility of learning how to use my new power.” Ruby stepped forward as her three teammates watched Ruby mature from that child she used to be at Beacon. Mercury was proud of the girl in front of him and how much she had changed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thatta way Rubes, you’re gonna get the hang of that ability in no time.” Emerald said with a confident smirk on her face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She’s right ya know little Rose, we all have faith in you.” Cinder said with her usual deranged smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll help you train those eyes of yours so don’t worry.” Mercury had crossed his arms over his chest but he still had his signature smirk all over his face.   </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Heh, thanks guys, couldn’t do it without ya.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ruby awoke the next morning and immediately set out for the training grounds where she could summon as many Grimm as she wanted to practice with. She started by thinking about the feelings within her that held the most depth. She tried to connect people to these feelings like Salem had talked about yesterday. She thought about Cinder and Emerald, while they were her friends she couldn’t say they particularly had a deep feeling attached to them. She thought of Salem and while she was her leader and felt admiration towards her, she didn’t feel anything deep about the connection. Ruby finally got around to Mercury, her partner. She thought about all the fun they have together. She thought about all the times he had her back and how much she admired him. She finally felt that deep connection of love for the guy, not romantically but one of how siblings loved each other. They would always have each other’s back and stand up for each other. While thinking and focusing on protecting him she was able to get her eyes to flash. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>While Ruby was excited that she could even get that much she had another connection that she didn’t quite understand. She felt another deep connection one that, if she were being honest, ran deeper than Mercury’s. She felt that same warm feeling but it was different. It was deeper and more passionate while at the same time it was light and feathery. It almost felt like home in a sense. She lifted her hand as if to catch it in her palm but of course, it wasn’t there. While this was odd in itself what confused her the most was that it was connected to a person, but she didn’t know who. It felt like she was missing them from her memory like they were more important than anyone else, but they just weren’t in her head. It was like they had been erased from her memory. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Frustration Within Us</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>We jump to the start of volume 4 or 4 months later. Ruby is still trying to understand her silver eyes and we check up on some old friends.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I don't have school tomorrow so I'll be writing tonight again! That also means that there is an update tonight and tomorrow! Honestly I'm having so much more fun writing this fic than I first thought I would</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>4 months later… </span>
  </em>
  <span>(</span>
  <span>or basically at the start of Volume 4)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ahhh Damn ittt! Why won’t these things work!” Ruby falls onto her back rubbing her head in frustration. She can see a shadow come over her from behind her eyelids and looks up to find Mercury standing over her with that same smirk on his face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Having trouble there Red?” He says with sarcasm dripping from his words.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t patronize me Mercury you know as well as I do that this is harder than both of us thought it would be a couple of months ago.” Ruby put her hands behind her head and closed her eyes for a moment to rest the amount of aura she’s been pouring into them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll agree with you there Red. I know Salem said this training would take months, but I guess it just never fully registered in my mind though.” Mercury took a seat beside Ruby with his hands stretched out behind him to prop himself up. “Too bad you don’t get to try and use them on missions, all of our missions for the past 4 months have been to kill Hunters. Not that I’m complaining of course.” Mercury finished off with a shrug and a look of indifference.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Neither am I, although I do see your point though. Maybe if I was in the face of danger they would be easier to activate.” Ruby sits up wondering what it was that she was missing to this ability. A Seer came through the door of the training area and over to the pair on the ground. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Looks like we might have a new mission.” Mercury stands up and offers a hand to Ruby. Ruby takes it and hoists herself up to him before dusting herself off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Looks like it, I hope these Hunters will be more of a challenge than what we’ve been given lately.” Ruby says with a disdainful look and a slight shake of her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You and me both Red. By the way, what’s your score looking like?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Heh, a few shy of 50, but this mission should fix that.” They both smirk as they walk towards the conference hall.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Yang dropped the glass she had been holding only for her to have a flash of that night. She stumbled backward gasping for air and grasping for anything to ground her to here and now. She hit the counter in frustration, she wanted to stop being so afraid. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked up at her dad with fear and frustration as he looked at her expectantly. She looked back down to the prosthetic in front of her, she felt shame, anger, frustration, but more than anything she felt the weight of her own failure. She apologized to her dad before making her way upstairs to continue to work things out in her head. Should she really get used to a prosthetic when her stump was normal now, when not having two arms was normal?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Weiss returned from her father's study and wanted to scream. She’s going to perform at a charity event just so her father looks good for the people, it made her sick. She knew she had no other option but it didn’t make this any easy to swallow. Weiss sat in the chair by her window overlooking Atlas and thought about how everything led to where she is now. Thinking about that led her to a realization…</span>
  <em>
    <span> It’s been 6 months since the fall of Beacon</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Weiss’s breath suddenly hitched as she thought about that fact. Her eyes got wide as thousands of thoughts began to swarm around her head. ‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>What happened to the rest of team JNPR? Did they disband or are they still together? What about her own team? My gods what about my own damn team?! What happened to Blake? Where is she now? I know she ran, but I don’t have the slightest idea as to where. What about Yang, she had lost an arm for gods’ sake. I know she was taken back to Patch, but I have to wonder how she’s holding up… I-I wonder how Ruby is. I mean she was taken by Cinder at the fall of Beacon because I was frozen, I didn’t do anything to stop her. I wonder if Qrow found her like he said he would. He told me that he would find her for me but… there's only so much one man can do after all. I wonder… is she even still al- No. I refuse to think that. I trust her, she wouldn’t let herself die so easily.’</span>
  </em>
  <span> With a shake of her head, Weiss stood up and began to start practicing for that sinful charity event her father intended to hold.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Enter.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes ma’am, you called for me?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Indeed Cinder, take a seat. I have something I wish to discuss with you before Ruby and Mercury come for their new mission.” Salem turns around and takes her place at the head of the table. Cinder took her seat in one of the chairs on the right side of the table.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cinder, I am going to ask you this only one more time and I want the truth, I do not tolerate liars. Did you or did you not, kill Ozpin?” Salem clasps her hands together and sets them on the table and looks directly at Cinder for her answer. Cinder had a slight hesitation not because she was nervous but because she thought that Salem knows something more about Ozpin that she was in the dark about.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ozpin is dead, I killed him at the fall of Beacon.” Cinder says with a sense of finality in her voice. Salem looks pleased with her answer and nods her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, that is all. You are dismissed, I have to inform Mercury and Ruby of their new assignment. I want you to continue to gather any information that you can on those remaining members.” Salem stands up and turns back to her window.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes ma’am.” Cinder takes her leaves and passes the duo in the hall. She gives them a ‘good luck she’s in one of those moods’ look to which they both responded with a long sigh, Cinder chuckles to herself as she goes to find Emerald so the two can do some more digging on the past members of Team RWBY.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Take Back My Life</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>We get an update on Blake, while ERmerald voices some concerns to Cinder. Ruby and Mercury complete another mission and Yang takes the first step.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Oh boyyyyy after this chapter shit starts to get real just a heads up!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
  <span>She was really here, standing in front of these doors that she had avoided returning back to for so many years. The doors that instilled a deep-rooted fear of what would happen when she knocked on them. She did though, she knocked and expected to be turned away or punched or disowned. But she wasn’t. She was hugged and told that she had been missed. Her mother yelled for her father and he had the same reaction. They had no hate, no resentment, no hesitation to love her even after all that she had done. She couldn’t have felt more grateful for anything more than she did at that moment. Blake was home.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ruby was a sea of red. No not from her overuse of the color red in her outfits or her semblance, but from the blood of her enemies. Her recent assignment from Salem had been a larger group of Hunters than she had ever dealt with before. Granted, it took them a whole week to find the group but to Ruby, it was well worth the wait for the adrenaline rush she was getting. Ruby and Mercury had split up to surround the group so that none escaped from their grasps’. In total there were 50 Hunters in the group they had been tasked with eliminating. Both were almost done with their group much to the dismay of the Hunters still fighting for their lives. Mercury wore the same small smirk that he seemed to always have as he took out the remaining 7 Hunters in his group. Ruby on the other hand, wore a wide grin and was laughing due to the amount of adrenaline she had rushing through her veins. She was having so much fun that when they were all dead she had to physically stop herself from continuing to shoot herself around on Crescent Rose. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aw is it over already? Hmph, well I guess even in large quantities they aren’t much of a challenge.” Ruby turns away from the bloody massacre with Crescent Rose slung over her shoulder before skipping her way over towards Mercury who had been finishing up his stragglers. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You finished up earlier than usual Red, you haven’t been taking any drugs have you?” Mercury said with a chuckle as he wiped the blood from his hands on his pants.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nothing other than the usual adrenaline high.” Ruby said in a sarcastic tone as she wiped her own hands on her clothes to get the blood off. They still had blood on their faces and well, most everywhere else but hey at least their hands were ‘clean’. They found their way back to where they had laid their stuff down before engaging in combat. The trek back to Salem’s palace would take a week so they didn’t waste any more time idling around the scene.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey Cinder?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes Emerald, is something wrong?” Cinder looked back at her partner as they walked through the streets of Mistral.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ruby will probably get ordered by Salem to fight her old teammates eventually and I just have to wonder…” Emerald trails off not wanting to be the pessimist but also trying to be the voice of reason.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... If she’ll be able to handle it, or I suppose more specifically if she’ll regain any memories?” Cinder finishes Emerald’s thoughts as she was having similar ones to the green-haired assassin.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well… yea. I mean Salem didn’t erase them, she just locked them behind a ‘mental door’ for lack of a better term. That doesn’t guarantee that they won’t come back.” Emerald says not having taken her eyes off the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I agree with you, I have been having similar thoughts myself, though I would never speak of them Salem. Even if little Rose does regain her memories and ends up switching sides, it won’t be any different than before. She would just be an enemy again… unless you’ve grown attached, Emerald.” Cinder says throwing a smirk behind her already knowing the answer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You already know my answer, I won’t hesitate… It’s Mercury I’m worried about. He’s grown very attached to the girl. I don’t think he would change sides over it, but it would definitely pull the rug out from under him.” Emerald says looking at Cinder with a very serious expression as they both know what she said was the truth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If that day ever comes we can only hope that he will turn the hurt into motivation to stop little Rose.” Cinder says the last part with a sense of finality as they had arrived at the info broker they had been looking for. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>‘It’s time’ She walks outside and looks at the sun rays peeking through her metal fingers. ‘Huh, it works just like my arm would.’ Tai looks up from his morning gardening to see Yang outside for the first time in 6 months. A smile creeps onto his face as he is proud of his daughter for taking the first step in taking back her life.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You ready to get started?” Tai asks with a hint of a challenge in his voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Heh, yea it’s taken me long enough, but I am ready,” Yang answers with a small grin dusting her features. Tai puts down his watering can and dusts himself off before heading over to the clearing that the family has always used for training. The two stretch their limbs before getting into a fighting position with both hands up. Yang makes the first move like she usually does, charging straight ahead with a flurry of punches that Tai easily dodged. He dodged the final of her punches before taking her arm and twisting it behind her back and putting his other around her neck.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m going to help you become a better fighter, but to do that you’re going to have to learn how to read your enemy and to be smart about every move you make.” Yang wants to growl in frustration but she knows he’s only doing this to help her. He wants nothing more than for his daughter to get back out there and kick ass, but to do that she is going to have to be open to his criticism. He lets go of her and she spins back around as he looks at her as if expecting an answer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m ready to rebuild myself, even if that means starting from scratch.” Yang finally breathes out after taking a moment to think over really wanting to change. She doesn’t want to be the hotheaded girl that she was at Beacon, that rushes into every fight not caring about anything other than her rage and recklessness. She knows this is going to take time to break down her current fighting style and then build herself back up but she’s ready for it, after 6 months she is finally ready to take the first step forward.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good. First things first, you’re going to learn how to stop relying on your semblance. Relying on your specific semblance makes you weak, you want to be able to defeat your enemies with your own strength and intelligence, not your semblances’. That leads me to my next point, strength is not the answer to fighting, intelligence is. Even if you aren’t as strong as an enemy if you are smarter than him then you have the advantage, you use that opportunity to strike as I did with you. I’m not as strong as you are physically especially with your semblance, but I waited for my opportunity and used it to my advantage. Do you see where I’m going here?” Tai finishes his speech and looks at Yang who is processing all that he has told her and hopefully is sinking in. Yang thinks over all of this before looking up and giving him a smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yea, I understand. It’s going to take a while, but it’s going to make me a better fighter so I’m ready for this step.” Tai and Yang square off again before starting another round of what would be many in her new training.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. New Objectives</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Weiss performs at the charity event and attends a party afterward. Ruby asks Mercury a question that causes him to tense up. Salem has a new objective for Cinder</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I saw a post on Twitter that felt so spot on to what I've felt recently while I've been writing here so I'm going to copy and paste it and tag the account that tweeted it.<br/>"To every person who has ever commented on a fic regularly, or followed an author for ages and commented on their work:</p><p>Know that the author knows your name and looks forward to your comments" @gotcocomilk</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Weiss finished the last line of her performance and bowed in front of the clapping audience. She spared a glance to her father and Whitley who both had smug, condescending smirks plastered on their faces. She wanted to scoff in disgust but she knew that all eyes were still on her in the auditorium. She gracefully turned on her heel and made her way to the room where the party was to be held. Her father sought her out so that she was to stay by his side for the entirety of the event. For the most part not having to speak to any of these people was a blessing but being at the actual event itself still made her want to vomit. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Weiss stole a glance at the painting of Beacon Academy and began to make her way over to it before an icy grip was upon her wrist. She stiffens as she turns back to face her father giving her a glare that shot daggers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And where do you think you’re going off to?” Jacques asks trying to not capture the attention of the two party guests he had been talking to beforehand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m… just going for a drink-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We have </span>
  <em>
    <span>people</span>
  </em>
  <span> for that.” Jacques raises his hand to catch the attention of one of the servers, but Weiss takes his arm to lower it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, I can get it… I’ll be right back.” She looked up at her father to see a look of uncertainty and a warning to her, Weiss just wanted away from the man at this point. Jacques finally turned back to the party members to continue his conversation leaving Weiss to let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Weiss makes her way over to the painting as so many memories began running through her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s beautiful.” She could see the man out of the corner of her eye that had slid up beside her. At first she thought that it was Neptune in the way that the guy looked and acted but when she looked at him more fully she realized that she was mistaken. She had realized in her time back in Atlas that she couldn’t believe she ever liked Neptune or the way he spoke to other people. The only time she can remember Neptune saying something that the new Weiss would find acceptable, is when he told her that she had some great friends looking out for her at the ball. At the time she only smiled and thought ‘yea right’ but now looking back she can’t believe she was so blinded by his charms and her own ignorance of those around her. She remembered how easily she thought she’d fallen in love with the guy thinking to herself that he would be the perfect guy to bring back home with her to Atlas, but she didn’t realize until now how sleazy the guy really was. When she remembered where she was she looked back at the man with apprehension and masked disgust. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You two match.” He said leaning towards her a bit more as he rested his back on the red rope surrounding the painting. ‘This guy could be Neptune’s long lost twin’ she thought with a small amount of discontent.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes. It is quite a lovely painting.” Weiss kept her arms crossed still refusing to face the guy. There was no portion of her being that wanted to have a conversation with him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I was trying to break the ice. How am I doing so far?” The guy asks in the same smooth suave voice as ever.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmph. You’re leaving a lot to be desired, I can tell you that.” Weiss doesn’t even want to continue the small talk, she would much rather he just take the hint and leave. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I always appreciate honesty… Henry, Marigold.” He stretches out his hand as if she should take his hand graciously and should consider herself lucky to have the honor of meeting him. Weiss stands still for a moment before turning to her head to see him with a look of annoyance on her face.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Weiss Schnee.” She gives her hand to him but just barely so only their fingers are touching. Her voice was full of irritation, hoping to convey that she didn’t want anything to do with him but of course that would be too easy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I-I know, I saw your performance. Obviously.” If he already knew then why did he feel the need to make her feel obligated to return the introduction? She wanted to scoff at this but she knew better than to do so. She turned her head halfway back to looking at the painting and halfway at Henry as he cleared his throat trying to save the dying conversation. He tried and failed at another ‘suave’ attempt at flattery, resulting in Weiss becoming more and more annoyed by the minute. She is dumbstruck when he asks why the painting is to raise money.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“For what?” Henry has a confused look on his face, one of pure ignorance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“For what?!” Weiss counters with anger clearly starting to break through parts of her voice. He responds by admitting he only comes to these events for the food and drinks, as he grabs a glass of champagne off one of the trays a server holds walking by. He tries with another paltry attempt at flattery resulting in Weiss wanting nothing more than to slap Henry and tell him to screw off. Weiss fully turns to him at this point as he jokes about this being another Mantle fundraiser. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Get. Out.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Henry half chuckles as he answers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Get out, or I will have security escort you out.” Weiss now has a deepening scowl on her face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But I haven’t d-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Leave!” Weiss was done playing the nice girl. Henry finishes his champagne before leaving Weiss to her own thoughts. She takes a long look at the painting of Beacon in front of her before closing her eyes, hoping to calm herself down a little while she listens to all of the conversations around the room. She hears a woman say that it shouldn't surprise anyone what happened to Vale… That was it. That was finally enough to make her snap. None of them knew what they were talking about. None of them were there. None of them fought for their lives or the lives of others. None of them saw two of their teammates lying injured and crying on the ground. None of them watched their partner go on their own to fight. </span>
  <em>
    <span>None of them watched their partner get taken by the enemy. </span>
  </em>
  <span>She snapped at the lady talking shit about everything Weiss had gone through. Her father tried to stop her with his icy grip on her arm once more. She yanked away from him to see an ice summon from beside her. A boarbatusk. It charged at the lady who had been spatting nonsense earlier. It was about to attack the lady before General Ironwood stopped it with a shot from his pistol. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Weiss was back in her room once her father started shouting at her over the family name and all the trouble she has caused. She expresses that she wants to leave, but Jacques yells at her that he doesn’t give a damn about what she wants. She was to be confined to her room for her insistence on dragging the Schnee name through the mud. She counters back that he married into the name, only to be met with pain and a burning sensation upon her face. She can’t tell if her face is red from the mark she now wears or from the anger bubbling within her. Her father denounces her as the Heiress to the SDC and leaves with a smirk of satisfaction. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Weiss falls to her bed to shed tears, but they never fall. She made a decision then and there to stop wasting her time in Atlas. She moved her furniture out of the way and grabbed Myrtenaster from its case. She was going to train until she was powerful enough to escape from this prison. She thought of Ruby and how she let her partner down, she wondered if she resented Weiss for it. Weiss hoped to every god that she didn’t. Weiss hoped the girl was back with her uncle eating cookies. She remembered that Qrow told her that he would find her partner, she just wondered if he could actually do so. She shook her head and smiled as she thought of her partner. She missed her like she never thought she could miss someone before and felt that same warm feeling in the pit of her stomach that she had been feeling every time she thought of her partner now. She smiled again as she resumed trying to summon like she somehow managed to do earlier.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ruby was lying on the floor of the training area with Mercury’s head beside her but his body extending in the opposite direction. They both were taking a break from Ruby’s silver eyes training to think up something that might help her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey Merc?” Ruby asked now having opened her eyes to stare at the ceiling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mm?” Was the only response she got from the guy next to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...What was I like before I lost my memories?” Ruby could hear her partner’s breathing stop when she asked the question, she wondered why it made him so tense. I mean she couldn’t have been that bad of a person beforehand right? Mercury clears his throat before trying to come up with something to tell the girl.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well… you had way too much energy, more than you have now that’s for sure.” They both chuckled before he continued on. “You weren’t as mature, so I’m glad that's changed. You were also a little naive to the world, honestly. You weren’t very good at hand to hand combat, we also didn’t work as well together either. All in all, I’d say you’ve improved as a person, even though losing your memories meant you lost a part of you.” Mercury finishes hoping she’ll be satisfied with that answer and not pry anymore. Luckily for him, it was and Ruby just hummed in response to his answer as she contemplates all that he’s told her. She’s glad that she’s none of the things he mentioned that she was before, but it still does hurt to not have any memories at all of the person she was before.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, storytime with Mercury is over, time to get back to training.” He says as he offers his hand to her and she grins and she grabs it, hoisting herself up to continue trying to learn to unlock her silver eyes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You may enter.” Cinder pushed open the doors to the conference hall to find Salem alone sitting at the head of the table. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You called for me, ma’am?” Cinder took a seat in her usual chair to the right and placed her hands on the table.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, I have a new and important task for you. I need for you to get any information you can on the whereabouts of the Spring Maiden.” Salem has a knowing smile upon her face since she is aware that Cinder would do this with pleasure. Cinder returns with her own devious smirk before giving her answer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course, it would be my pleasure. Do you have any leads on her as of yet?” Cinder was excited to get started on this mission, she knew that it would soon lead to the first of many confrontations to be taking place within the month or months.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m afraid I don’t but there is a faunus info broker within Mistral that should be able to help you. She has ram horns, she might have some inkling as to where she might be.” Cinder took a moment to think about the information she has just been given before standing to leave. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, I will begin immediately.” Salem nods at her as Cinder takes her leave. Cinder closes the doors behind her with that same deranged smile she’s known for, knowing things were about to get a lot more interesting.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. To Departure and Procure</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Weiss and Yang finally decide it's time for them to leave while Ruby gets an unexpected surprise from Mercury.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Yang finishes giving one last coat of yellow paint to the metal arm on the ground below her. She gives a small smile content with how the paint job has turned out. She stands up after giving it a few moments to dry before she attaches it to her stump. It locks in place and she clenches and unclenches the metallic fingers to make sure it was on right before heading to the shed for Bumblebee. She uncovers her motorcycle and lets a small smile creep upon her face as she starts to step towards it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t remember saying you were ready.” Yang chuckles and asks if he thinks he can stop her. He lets out a chuckle of his own before saying he’s a little too sore to try something like that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have a question for ya.” Tai says a little sad but seriousness masking it almost completely.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh yea, and what’s that?” Yang turns to face her father wondering what kind of question could bring that level of seriousness from her dad.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where are you going?” Yang is a little confused at first by what he’s asking. Tai explains that he knows Yang knows where her mother is at but that Ruby is still missing. Tai asks again, “Where are you going?” Yang looks back at Bumblebee contemplating where she is actually going. She turns back to Tai with a look of pure determination on her face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She uses her black glyph to shut the door on her insufferable little brother, Whitley. She was done hearing the trash spewing from his mouth, she took a deep breath and prepared to continue her summoning training. She stuck Myrtenaster into the ground once again like she had done so often in these past few weeks that she’d been confined to her room. She focused purely on the summon in front of her imagining that knight in the painting on her wall. She thought of all the training she did at Beacon, she thought of all the people at Beacon and how much they meant to her. She thought of her teammates and what they all went through. She thought of helping Blake with the White Fang and Torchwick, she thought of trusting Yang when everyone else thought she broke that jackass’s leg. Most importantly, she thought of the promise she made Ruby to be the best teammate she would ever have and to do that she was going to have to have to reunite with her. Before she knew what was happening her window shattered and an immense force swept throughout the room before the door to her room burst open.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ms. Schnee! Is everythi-” Her butler was cut off when he saw the ice knight in the middle of the room bow on one knee in front of Weiss. Weiss looks back at her knight and was ecstatic that she had finally done it. It was time. It was time for her to escape and find her partner. Weiss turned back to her butler with a smirk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Klein I need a favor.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sooo, what’d you wanna talk about Merc?” Ruby walks over and sits on the bed with her back against the wall and her legs dangling over the edge. She watches as Mercury goes over to his desk and grabs some sort of package that has been sitting on it since she walked in. He walks back over to her and hands her the package which earns him a confused look from Ruby.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh just open it.” He rolls his eyes and she proceeds to undo the string tied around the brown paper. She unfolds the brown paper to find a white box with nothing indicating what’s inside. She takes the top off the box to find a beautiful locket made out of a material she isn’t sure she’s familiar with.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Merc… you didn’t have to get me anything. What’s the occasion?” Ruby looks up from the locket that she had been entranced by to find Mercury giving her a genuine smile and she gets up to hug him. They don’t separate as he offers her an answer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know, it’s just been almost 8 months since you’ve lost your memories and we’ve been working together. I just felt like getting you something to remind you of us, so I made you this locket made out of mercury.” They separate and he chuckles nervously as he rubs the back of his neck. Rub opens the locket to find a picture of the two of them that they had taken after she had completed her first mission with him. She smiled as she closed and it and gave him another hug.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, thank you. Really, this is the nicest thing someone has done for me so far after I lost my memories. I’ll wear it all the time as a safety charm, it’ll keep me safe and give me good luck.” They separate again and Ruby bits her lip but before Mercury can ask what’s wrong she offers his answer. “I doubt that I had any siblings since you’ve never mentioned them before, but I want you to know that even though we’re not siblings you’re the best big brother any girl could ever ask for. I just thought you should know. I know you aren’t my actual brother but I love you as if you were my own sibling.” Mercury was shocked for a moment before he enveloped her another hug. He almost let a tear slide down his cheek out of sheer happiness that she did actually see him as a brother.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I always thought of you like the sister I never had so to know that you love me like the brother you didn’t have couldn’t make me happier.” He laughed a little as she hugged him back tighter wanting to remember this moment even if she lost her memories again. When they separated she went over to the mirror over his desk and put the locket on, letting it dangle at the base of her neck. She turned around with a smile that Mercury shared with her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Pardon my intrusion but I have information for Salem.” Cinder enters with Emerald and they look around the room at the other 3 elite members hoping they would take the hint and leave.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You three are dismissed.” The trio wait for the remainder of the members to leave and shut the door behind them before Cinder starts about the information she has gathered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“First I have information about the progression of Yang Xiao Long and Weiss Schnee. Yang has recently left her home and I recently got information that the Schnee has been reported missing from the Schnee Manor. It can be a safe assumption that she intends to reunite with her old team. Now, I also have the supposed location of the Spring Maiden.” At this Salem has a devious smirk snake its way onto her features.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That is most wonderful news, where might our maiden be?” Salem leans forward with her hands clasped together on the table. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She was taken in by Raven Branwen, leader of the Branwen tribe and mother to Yang Xiao Long.” Cinder finishes with an insidious smile of her own.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Things are about to get very interesting indeed.” Salem returns Cinder’s smile with an equally unsettling one as he leans back in her chair. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Concerns</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Weiss is kidnapped by Raven and Yang walks into her mother's camp. Mercury talks to Salem about something before he departs for his mission.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm taking the ACT tomorrow so I'm not writing much tonight since I'm studying. Hopefully, if my brain isn't too fried I ca write some tomorrow.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The last thing she can remember is a woman with long black hair and red eyes kicking her in the face. She wakes up to an unfamiliar scenery and takes a look around. By this point, it’s the middle of the night and she’s been put in some sort of cage. She tries moving her hands only to feel resistance, resulting in her looking to discover her hands have been tied. ‘Well isn't this just wonderful. Now, what the hell am I gonna do?’ A tan, short-haired woman comes out of the nearest tent with Myrtenaster in hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Never thought I’d ever see one of </span>
  <em>
    <span>your kind</span>
  </em>
  <span> in this camp.” Weiss knows that she means a Schnee without her even having to say it. Weiss looks her appearance over, ‘Hmph she’s nothing special’ and she gives the other woman a glare. Weiss stands to meet the newest edition to this ransack team of bandits. The woman gives a smirk and begins to run her hand along Myrtenaster much to Weiss’s displeasure. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What exactly do you want from me?” Weiss hopes her tone conveys the hatred she has in her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmph, we usually don’t deal in human trafficking buttt, with you being a </span>
  <em>
    <span>Schnee</span>
  </em>
  <span>, we’re making an exception.” The other woman gives another amused smirk as she lets Myrtenaster rest on her shoulder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, you want to ransom me back to my father.” Weiss lets out an amused sigh. She thought of the look on her father’s face if she was taken back after </span>
  <em>
    <span>she</span>
  </em>
  <span> was the one who escaped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just keep quiet and cooperate.” Vernal turns to make her way back into her tent having said her piece in this little conversation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“When my sister finds out I didn't make it to Mistral, it might make things complicated. You know Winter Schnee don’t you? She’s in Mistral you know, it won’t take her long to find me once she knows I’m missing.” Wiess has a small grin on her face before it falls when Vernal turns around laughing at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you find so funny?” Weiss was getting angry with her at this point.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know if it’s more funny or sad, but you aren’t in the loop are ya? Your sister isn’t in Mistral anymore, Ironwood called all of his forces back. No one’s coming to save ya, princess.” Weiss tried to not let the surprise show on her face but to no avail. Her last hope had been taken away from her and she felt the rug being pulled out from under her. If what this woman said was true then she really was going to get sent back to her father unless she could find a way out of here. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mercury, Emerald, Cinder, and Ruby, I have a very special mission for you four. I know you four have only been on a handful of missions as a team but I have high expectations for this mission. Cinder and Emerald have been gathering information on the location of the Spring Maiden over these past months. We know that Raven Branwen, leader of the Branwen tribe is in possession of the Spring Maiden. You are to go to Raven either obtain the Spring Maiden or gain them as allies to our cause. They are currently at a camp not too far outside of Mistral, do you understand your mission?” Salem finished giving the details to look at Team MERC. Mercury’s face was full of amusement, Ruby’s full of determination, Cinder’s full of pleasure, and Emerald’s full of mirth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, ma’am” They all answered in unison but not with the same emotion coming from each of them. There is a shared emotion between all of them, excitement. They all felt the shift in the atmosphere, they all knew within this month something big was going to happen. They knew, Salem already had her claws wrapped around Haven Academy in case that pesky group of Hunters tried anything to disrupt their mission. Even knowing something big was coming, they were all excited about it, they would be elated if there was to be a huge battle of sorts.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Yang walks through her mother’s camp with confidence but underlying caution. She knows she’s outnumbered, but she also knows she can handle almost anyone in this camp. The members she beat up are now escorting her to her mother’s tent but they have their guard up in case she should try anything. Yang takes a tentative look around to survey her options should things go awry but soon arrives in front of her a large tent. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The guards that had been guarding Weiss’s cage sudden;y took off towards the other side of camp as some sort of commotion was ensuing. She took the opportunity to try summoning a smaller version of her ice knight to see if he could cut through the cage.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yang looks up towards the tent flap to find who she’s been looking for, her mother. She has that same mask on that she remembered from so long ago when she saved her on the train. Raven hesitates as she sees who is standing in the middle of her camp, her own daughter. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mom.” Raven reaches and removes her mask at the comment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yang.” Raven sighs a little bit even though her daughter's tone had a bite to it. “Ya know I was starting to wonder when you’d pay me a visit.” Yang has to hold her arm to keep her hand from shaking before she answers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You </span>
  <em>
    <span>know</span>
  </em>
  <span> that I searched for you. Years.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You were patient and determined, well done Yang.” Yang can sense the sarcasm dripping from her mother’s words. It isn’t this any easier. “Right… I’m sure this is all very overwhelming. You can stay with us tonight and I’ll answer any questions you might have. I could even have the cooks whip something up for y-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> why I’m here. I’m not here for you, Qrow is somewhere in Mistral and he should have some idea where Ruby is by now. I just need you to take me to him.” Yang put her hands on her hips as Raven crosses hers over her chest. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And </span>
  <em>
    <span>why</span>
  </em>
  <span> would I ever do that?” Raven isn’t amused and is irritated that her daughter has marched into her camp and is demanding orders from </span>
  <em>
    <span>her.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Because we’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>family</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Yang says as she pretends that it means so much to her that she’s in front of her mother.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why not take the drive you had to seek me out, to find him instead hm?” Raven hated the way Qrow and Yang used that word. Family only comes around when they need something.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because you’re going to save me time. Qrow was headed to Mistral, but there’s no guarantee he made it there with Team JNR yet. I don't have time to search all of Anima for them. Dad already told me how your semblance works.” Yang replaced her hands on her hips. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ya know you’ve got guts to come in here and demand something like that of me, I’m impressed. You don’t want to get mixed up in what they’re doing Yang, and if Qrow found your sister and she’s traveling with him she’s a lost cause.” Raven paced back and forth on the small deck outside of her tent as she tried to persuade Yang against doing this.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can spout whatever you want, but nothing will ever keep me from my sister.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Heh, aren’t you stubborn,” Raven says with a small sneer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I get it from my mom.” Yang crosses her arms as she looks straight at Raven.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then we’re done here.” Raven walks back inside her tent as the other bandits begin to surround Yang.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I said send me to Qrow DAMN IT!” Yang steps forward as her eyes turn from light lilac to blood red. Raven turns around to glance back at her daughter. One of the member's charges at her with his weapon raised to swing at her. She easily dodges and sends him flying back through one of the tents being him making it collapse along with the man. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yang?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Weiss?!” Yang’s eyes turn back to their soft lilac as she sees the familiar face of one of her teammates.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alrighty, subtlety is out.” She allows her small ice knight to become full-grown, causing the cage’s room to pop off like the lid to a jar. The knight slashes the bars of the cage allowing for Weiss to step over them with her knight in tow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is that?” Yang has a hint of amusement in her voice as if she isn't really surprised but still asks anyway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now’s not the time, what in the world are you doing here?” Weiss looks around surveying their options for escape.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well… that’s my mom and she can take us to Qrow and hopefully…” Yang trails off not wanting to sound too hopeful but Weiss knows who she’s talking about.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ugh,” Raven grunts out, obviously not happy about this turn of events.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“YOUR MOM KIDNAPPED ME?!” Weiss just now put the pieces together mentally and turns to Yang with a small scowl. Yang’s eyes widen in surprise at the other woman’s question.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You KIDNAPPED her?!” Yang turns her attention back towards her mother as she looks at her incredulously. The other bandit members begin to start charging towards the pair only for them to be halted by lightning striking the ground in between them and the duo. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>If you people don’t keep it together for five minutes, this place will be crawling with Grimm.” Raven is tired of this escalating situation and decides talking to them is her best option. She also knows the fact that the pair can kick almost all of their asses except herself and Vernal. “Give the girl her weapon back.” Raven sighs as she looks at Vernal. Vernal looks back at her in surprise and shock but does as she’s told and tosses Myrtenaster to Weiss. “You two, in my tent. Now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why?” Yang says with venom dripping from her tongue. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you really intend on going after Qrow then you should at least know the truth.” Raven turns and walks inside her tent leaving the pair in a small state of shock.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...Sorry abou-” Yang freezes as she feels Weiss fling herself at Yang holding her in a tight hug.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I missed you so much.” It’s finally hitting Weiss that she is going to be able to see her teammates again after so long. It’s not just a dream she’s going to find them and they are all going to reunite. She’s going to finally reunite with her </span>
  <em>
    <span>family.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“I missed you too.” Yang smiles as she hugs Weiss back.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You may enter.” Salem turns to find Mercury standing in the doorway of the conference room. “Ah Mercury, it’s rare for you to come alone. Is there an issue?” Salem assumed Team MERC would be leaving soon for their mission at Raven’s camp.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about for a little while now.” Mercury steps in and rubs the back of his neck nervously.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh? What is it dear boy?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s about Re- er </span>
  <em>
    <span>Ruby</span>
  </em>
  <span> and her memories…” Salem is a bit taken aback wondering what happened or if a memory slipped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Go on…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Since I know that our missions are now in direct contradiction to those of her uncle and her old team has a real chance to get back together to oppose us… I guess I’m just worried about her facing her old teammates. Do you think it is likely that she will regain some of her memories upon seeing her old teammates?” Mercury finishes and looks at Salem who looks to be deep in thought.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmm… In all likelihood, it is very unlikely that she will regain any of her old memories. While in theory, it is possible as I am not able to completely erase them, rather just lock them away. I do not believe she is at risk of that even if she were to face her old teammates. I am glad that you are worried about that possibility, I myself try to keep an eye on her in case any of her old memories come back.” Salem leans back in her chair after giving her answer to see a much more relaxed Mercury in front of her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, alright good.” Mercury gives a sigh of relief before continuing. “That is all I wished to talk about, I should finish packing. We will be heading out later today for our mission.” With that Mercury left, leaving a smirking Salem who thought about all the chaos that was sure to transpire soon.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Truth and Sorrow</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Raven tells Weiss and Yang the truth of what's really going on before letting them go to Qrow. Team MERC shows up to Raven's camp a few days later to negotiate.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Holy shit the ACT drained my brain and left me feeling like a fried vegetable afterward yesterday.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“The story of victory for one person is the story of defeat for another. How much do you two </span>
  <em>
    <span>actually</span>
  </em>
  <span> know about Professor Ozpin, about his past?” Both girls take a moment to really think about their previous headmaster and come up with a blank. They knew very little, and if they were being honest they knew nothing at all about the man. They can’t recall a single detail he or any of his subordinates gave about Ozpin’s past. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Old man Oz has a terrible secret.” This caught the attention of the two girls. What could their very own headmaster have been hiding? They were intrigued, to say the least.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“With every new discovery I made… the more horrifying the world became.” Raven has her back to the two girls as she stares at the map on the wall of her tent.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine then, tell us. What’s this </span>
  <em>
    <span>big</span>
  </em>
  <span> secret that the rest of us don’t know?” Yang was getting a little irritated at her mother not giving her a straight answer. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Sigh…</span>
  </em>
  <span> The creatures of Grimm… have a master named Salem. She can’t be stopped. She can’t be reasoned with and she will not rest until humanity crumbles at her feet.” Needless to say both girls were in shock. At first they thought it was a joke but when Raven didn’t turn back around and was standing very rigid they knew she wasn’t lying. It sounded unbelievable but somewhere deep down they both knew it was true. Weiss tried to wrap her head around what this woman was saying and how that would even be possible. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why should we believe any of this?” Yang stands up clearly at the end of her rope with this conversation. Raven turns toward Yang and walks toward her, teacup in hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ahh, maybe you’re not as dumb as I thought. All you’ve done up till now is listened to what you’ve been told but now you're asking questions. You need to question things or else you’ll end up like my brother… and your father.” Raven turns back to her map as she finishes her statement. That was it. Yang had enough, she let her semblance take over as she fired a round from her wrist.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t you DARE talk about my family like that!” The new Yang could handle a lot more before getting angry than the old Yang could but when it came to family, that crossed the line. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yang… please, sit back down.” Weiss grabbed Yang’s hand because she was still curious about this Salem person.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Listen to your teammate Yang it's not like they’ve ever let you down before.” Raven had a smug smile plastered on her face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You were never there, you left us! You don’t know the first damn thing about me!” Yang’s eyes traded the blood-red for soft lilac once more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know a lot more than you realize. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. The Grimm have a leader, magic is real, and I can prove it.” Raven takes a step back from Yang after letting her let those words sink in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I doubt your father ever told you about what Oz did to my brother and I.” Raven takes the tent flap and walks out of the back of the tent. Weiss and Yang share a look of bewilderment but nod at each other as if silently deciding to follow her outside. They walk outside to find Raven gone, but a raven circling overhead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think… no, I’m positive I’ve seen that bird before.” Yang looks at the bird hesitantly not really sure why she would recognize the bird.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe… it belongs to your mom?” Weiss offers not knowing why Yang recognizes the bird either. The bird takes a dive towards the ground and in midair changes into Raven. Both girls stood in shock not knowing how to react to the fact that Raven just changed from a bird into a human. How is anyone supposed to react to that? Weiss takes a step back as if to remind herself that she’s awake and not dreaming and Yang just stares dumbfounded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How… did you do that?” Yang was at least able to muster out a full sentence and not just stand there with her mouth open.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well… I could explain it to you or you could ask your uncle.” Raven makes a portal behind her with her semblance. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re letting us go?” Yang asks a little hesitant at what her mom is planning.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m giving you a decision. Stay here with me and I’ll answer all of your questions and more and we can have a new beginning. On the other hand, you can go back to Qrow and join Ozpin’s lost cause. Can you really go back to someone who’s kept so much from you?” Raven has a devious smirk knowing that her side offers the better choice. There is a pause before Yang answers her mother.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The only thing I care about is finding my sister, and Qrow said he would find her. You never offered me that.” Weiss froze at how dark and intimidating Yang’s voice was. She knew Yang must have had a hard time learning to adjust after losing her arm but she didn't expect Yang to become so cold. Yang and Weiss hop onto the back of Bumblebee and begin to ride toward the portal. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yang. If you side with Qrow, I may not be as gracious the next time we meet.” Raven gives one final offer in the form of a warning.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You weren’t this time either.” With that Yang rides through the portal and Weiss rolls her eyes at Raven.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Sigh…</span>
  </em>
  <span> I know…” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...Raven?” Qrow turns around feeling the familiar semblance of his sister but finds two people who most certainly aren’t Raven. Weiss and Yang emerge from the portal riding her motorcycle and pull up to a stop in front of Qrow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, this is not what I expected…” Qrow rubs the back of his head nervously as Raven’s portal dissipates. Yang parks Bumblebee and goes and gives her uncle a hug.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey uncle Qrow, missed you too.” Yang chuckles into his shoulder at her uncle's wonderful way of saying hello. They separate and Qrow looks over to Weiss who has been watching the pair reunite.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I see you’ve brought company.” Qrow chuckles and looks back at Weiss who just offers a small smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yea I found her as a prisoner at mom’s camp.” Yang gives a chuckle of her own at the look of surprise on Qrow’s face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ll have to tell me about it. Come on they should almost have dinner ready by now and I bet you two are hungry.” Qrow starts to lead his niece into the house with him having an arm around her shoulder and she has an arm around his side. Yang pulls away before they can enter and pulls at her uncle’s shirt for him to wait.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did…</span>
  <em>
    <span> Sigh</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Is Ruby here?” Qrow looks away from Yang as she asks him that. He knew it was coming but he was hoping to put it off a little longer. He knew he had told both of them that he would find their leader, but he hadn’t and the worst part about it was that he had no leads at all. Hell, he didn’t even know if the girl was still alive. Instead of Qrow looking at Yang who had asked the question, he looks to Weiss as he answers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m so sorry. I haven’t found her yet and I haven’t had any leads since she was taken. It’s like she just disappeared. It’s been 7 months and I still don’t even know if she’s still with Cinder or not. I’m so sorry Yang I know I told you that I would find your sister when you woke up back at Patch… and Weiss… I’m so, so sorry. I consoled you when I found you at the foot of Beacon tower after you told me she was taken by Cinder and I told you that I would bring her back to you. I-I… I told you I would and I’ve failed…” Qrow had fallen to his hands and knees letting tears fall down his face not caring what the two in front of him thought about him now. His body convulsed as sobs racked his body at the sheer amount of sorrow coursing through his veins. Weiss and Yang both had tears streaming down their faces as well. They both didn’t want to admit it but they had their hopes up of meeting their missing team leader here but now that they know they are no closer to finding her than they were 7 months ago was really hitting them. Although a part of them wanted to be mad at Qrow for not keeping his word, looking at the sight of him sobbing made that feeling go away from the time being as they initiated a group hug. Although Weiss felt odd at first, after they all started crying together she felt silly for, ever feeling like that. They stayed like that for what seemed like hours but in reality, wasn’t more than 10 minutes. They all stood up and got a hold of themselves before making their way inside the greet the remainder of team JNR.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After dinner and Team JNR had gone upstairs to get some rest, Weiss, Yang, and Qrow all sat in the living room trying to start a conversation they all needed to have. They sat in uncomfortable silence for a few moments while they all tried to pluck up the courage to approach the topic at hand, Ruby Rose. Weiss finally couldn't take it anymore and wanted to know anything she could to try to help her get her partner back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Qrow do you have any information at all that might help me- er I mean </span>
  <em>
    <span>us </span>
  </em>
  <span>in trying to locate Ruby?” Qrow and Yang were grateful to Weiss for being the ice breaker they needed. Qrow took a moment to think about anything he may have gathered over the past 7 months that have had anything to do with his niece. He thought for well over a minute to make sure he hadn’t overlooked something that could help, but he drew a blank. He looked down after crossing his arms and let out a sigh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, but I really have no information to go off of.” Before he could let their spirits dampen too much he tried a piece of optimism. “But from the way that you told me that Cinder had a use for Ruby, I don’t think she’s dead. If Cinder only meant to kill her, she would have done so at the top of Beacon tower.” Although it was a morbid thought of Cinder killing their team leader, the two women couldn’t deny the fact that his logic was sound.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... Weiss, explain to me again what Cinder told you before she walked through that portal with Ruby.” Yang spoke for the first time since the conversation and looked more serious than either of them had ever seen her before.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She said she was going to pay her back for the number she did on her arm and eye and then… she started to say what she was actually going to do and then cut herself off. She.. she just smirked and then walked through with Ruby.” Weiss finished recalling to the best of her ability exactly what that deranged psychopath had said to her. She felt that anger that had been there that night return and start to bubble in the depths of her stomach.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmph, well I guess she was smart enough to cover her tracks. The only thing we can do now is to continue to look for information but if there's one thing I know is that we will run into Cinder again eventually. If we can find a way to make her talk then we have our answer.” Yang stood up and looked at the other two with a sense of determination that fueled the other two’s. All three stood up and gave a nod at each other understanding what their next step forward was.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cinder, Mercury, Emerald, and Ruby all stood outside the tent of Raven Branwen awaiting her arrival before they started </span>
  <em>
    <span>negotiating</span>
  </em>
  <span> for lack of a better term. Raven finally stepped out wearing a white mask covering the woman’s face. Raven went to put her hand on her hips but hesitated for a second when she saw Ruby among the faces of Salem’s crew. She had just sent her own daughter away to look for the girl with Qrow yet here she was standing with Salem’s subordinates. An uncomfortable silence fell amongst them as Raven was trying to process the fact that Ruby was with Salem and that Salem’s subordinates had finally found her tribe. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Unless I’m mistaken I never sent out invitations for a housewarming party,” Raven says with confidence to mask her unease. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aw, don’t be so harsh to them, they simply understand my power as a Maiden. I’d love it if we could have a little chat.” Cinder finishes her insult with her infamous half-smirk. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Sigh…</span>
  </em>
  <span> Pack your things and break down camp. Let us talk in peace.” Raven orders her tribesmen before looking back at Cinder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s a little late to run and hide don’t you think?” Ruby snickers a bit as she answers watching the tribesmen begin to pack up. Raven knows exactly who this girl is and how she </span>
  <em>
    <span>used</span>
  </em>
  <span> to act but she can tell that something has happened to her since the last time she heard of her. Raven begins to walk down from the platform surrounding her tent.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t believe we’ve met,” Raven says tilting her head upward slightly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re the ones you should be afraid of,” Mercury answers from Ruby’s left.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I highly doubt I should be afraid of you.'' Raven replaces her hands on her hips as she answers him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is that right? Tell that to-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Quiet.”Mercury’s rant is cut off by Cinder and puts her arm out in front of him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m Cinder Fall, these are my associates: Ruby, Mercury, and Emerald.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmph, two teenagers and a kidnapped child is all I see.” Ruby raises an eyebrow wondering what the other woman meant by that but brushed it off since she had no idea who this even was, other than the woman’s name. Raven did note her confusion however and suddenly understood that she no longer remembered who she had been before. These people had stripped this girl of her memories. She just shook it off knowing that Ruby would survive since she was fighting for Salem even if she was a different person now. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How very perceptive of you.” Cinder flashes a small strained smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s what’s kept me alive after all.” Raven has settled to now crossing her arms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The only reason you’re still alive is because you have something Salem wants. I mean of course if I’m wrong.” Cinder gives a wild grin as she summons fire into her palm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Vernal.” Raven summons the woman who had gone to get Raven earlier.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Prove it.” Both Raven and Vernal knew what she meant and she began concentrating on the weather around her. The girl was quickly able to make the beginnings of what would have been a gigantic thunderstorm. Vernal quickly let the clouds dissipate as she had shown them what they needed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We come bearing an olive branch.” Cinder says with an insidious smirk upon her face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Salem truly wants the relics and to obtain those she needs the maidens. If you help us with this, all previous </span>
  <em>
    <span>transgressions</span>
  </em>
  <span> against Salem will be forgiven.” This time Ruby had stepped forward to speak to Raven. She was right in front of the woman offering her hand as a deal between the two parties. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You talk as if walking straight into Haven will be easy.” Raven scoffs as Ruby returns beside Cinder and Mercury.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s because it will be.” Cinder says with a smile of confidence graces her face. The headmaster is loyal to Salem, all we need is the key to the vault. You’re not the only one to turn your back on Oz, Raven.” Cinder takes a quick glance at Ruby which the other girl cannot see but Raven can. She looks at the girl that she sent her own daughter out looking for just mere days ago. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t want any part in this.” Raven reaches for the hilt of her sword as she looks between the four members from Salem. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Tch</span>
  </em>
  <span> aww, that’s too bad. You chose to harbor a maiden so you no longer have a choice. We just need the relic.” Cinder says in a sing-songy patronizing tone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I need time to-” Raven is cut off by an irritated Ruby.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your time’s run out.” Ruby stands with her arms crossed and checks her wrist for an invisible watch. She turns back to Raven with a fake smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So are you with us or against us?” Cinder says with a sense of finality in her voice. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raven removes her mask and expresses her distrust for those among her. She says that she requires a request if she is to cooperate with them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I want my brother dead.” Needless to say everyone except for Ruby has a surprised look upon their faces.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Qrow?” Cinder asks not sure why Raven would wish for this of all things.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mhmm, he knows I have Spring. He’s going to become a real nuisance if he knows I help you get your relic. I have more than enough to deal with already. You can also use the headmaster to lure Qrow into an ambush and we take down Haven. You get your relic and I get a thorn out of my side.” Raven looks between the four of them before she hears a small chuckle from Cinder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now </span>
  <em>
    <span>this</span>
  </em>
  <span> is a proposition I can get behind. You have yourself a deal.” Cinder takes a step forward and extends her hand, Raven takes it and the deal has been made.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Healing</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Yang and Weiss have a heart over coffee.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Things are going down very very soon</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
  <span>Yang sits with her head turned to the sky, looking at the sunrise from over the horizon. She had woken up earlier and since she highly doubted she’d get anymore sleep she decided to come watch the sunrise. She wasn’t surprised that she got little sleep last night, she met her mother for the first time in years, she learned of a powerful being that leads the Grimm and… that her sister had been missing for 7 months with no leads to go off of. Yang still can’t believe that her sister is gone, Yang was supposed to be the big sister that protected her but what happened? Ruby was the one who tried to stop Cinder and ended up getting taken and Yang couldn’t help her. Some big sister she was huh? Yang let out a mirthless laugh and let her head bow. She knew thinking like this wasn’t going to get her sister back but it didn’t stop the screams of failure from erupting within her. Yang hears the sound of footsteps from behind her and turns to find Weiss walking towards her with a tray in hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Isn’t it a bit early for the Ice Queen to be up?” Yang says with sarcasm as she turns back around.  Weiss scoffs and the familiar nickname but hands Yang the cup of coffee anyway. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sleep doesn’t come easy and I’m guessing it’s the same for you.” Yang just hums in response knowing neither of them will be getting much sleep until some information about their leader shows up. “It’s nice to be back together with Team JNR again but…” Weiss trails off not really wanting to finish her thought.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... But there’s still a hole inside you.” Yang finishes her though for her as she felt the same thing eating at her from the inside out. Weiss just nods as she takes another sip of her coffee. They fell into silence taking in everything that had happened and they had learned in the past 24 hours. Weiss took a deep breath before she spoke because she knew she was opening a very aggressive and angry can of worms but someone needed to do it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wonder how Blake has been doing,” Weiss says nonchalantly trying to ignore how Yang tensed at the mention of her old partner. Yang snorts before she replies to the mention of her partner.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure she’s fine, I wouldn’t waste your energy worrying about her,” Yang replies in the same nonchalant way that Weiss had but she was making a point with hers. Weiss looks at Yang hesitantly as she could tell this was a </span>
  <em>
    <span>very</span>
  </em>
  <span> touchy subject.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She’s still our teammate so of course I should worry about her.” Weiss returned her gaze to the sky not wanting to see Yang’s expressions during this conversation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Tch</span>
  </em>
  <span>. She left us Weiss, don’t waste your time. It will only make you miserable in the end.” Yang says turning in the opposite direction of Weiss. Weiss took a deep breath, steeling herself for what she was about to say. She knew she didn’t feel this way but if it proved her point to Yang then she was going to try anyway. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... Ruby left us too you know. Not willingly but she still left us.” Weiss made sure her gaze stayed looking into the sky as she felt the wind from Yang snapping her head to look at her and she could feel the girl’s gaze on her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?! How could you compare Ruby’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>kidnapping</span>
  </em>
  <span> to Blake’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>betrayal</span>
  </em>
  <span>?!” Yang was angry but more than anything confused because she knew that Weiss was just as worried about Ruby as she was if not more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Sigh…</span>
  </em>
  <span> Yang, did you ever think that maybe leaving was a way for Blake to cope with what’s happened? Did you ever think that maybe she wanted to figure this out on her own? Did you ever think that maybe she felt </span>
  <em>
    <span>guilty</span>
  </em>
  <span> about what happened to Beacon and what happened to </span>
  <em>
    <span>you?</span>
  </em>
  <span> Maybe that’s why she ran because she didn’t want to see her partner, the person she trusted most, resent her for what had happened.” Weiss risked a glance at Yang who blinked away the red back to the lilac pools she’s used to.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Hmph</span>
  </em>
  <span>, it was still her choice to run away though.” Yang stands up to leave but feels a hand on her arm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No. We’re having this conversation Yang. This is something that I want to help you work out. It may not fix everything but talking about it is the first step towards acceptance.” Weiss looks with determination to hesitant lilac. Yang gives a soft chuckle as she sits back down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“When did the Ice Queen become so wise, huh?” Yang just shook her head as she took a sip of her now lukewarm coffee. Weiss tensed a little bit at the comment thinking about all the time she had to think to herself back at her Manor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... Being locked in your room alone for months leaves a person with nothing but loneliness and their own thoughts.” Weiss let her head drop ever so slightly so that Yang couldn’t see Weiss shutting her eyes tightly to avoid the tears from spilling over. Yang was surprised at the reply from Weiss. She didn't expect such a deep and quite frankly depressing answer from her teammate.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I-I… I’m sorry Weiss, I never thought about what you may have gone through.” Yang looks away, quietly berating herself for not thinking about how much Weiss may have gone through while being away for seven months. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s alright. I want to be here for you Yang. I know we may not have been the closest of friends back at Beacon but you’re still my teammate and I want to help you.” Weiss finally got herself together enough to look at Yang. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve been left all my life by the people who have mattered to me. My mother, Blake, even my dad in a way. I don’t agree with you on Ruby but I think you were just proving your point. Blake just… I wanted to be there for her, I really did. But how can I be there for someone who doesn’t want me there… What if I needed her here for me?” Yang puts her face in her mechanical hand and lets tears fall that she didn’t know that she had. Weiss takes her left arm and puts it around Yang's shoulders to pull her into a side hug. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry Yang, I'm sorry that no one was there for you when you needed them. I want you to know that I’m here for you now. You, Ruby and even Blake have been more like a family to me than my brother or even my own father have ever been. When it comes to Blake I feel as though I understand her thought process as to why she left enough that when she does decide to come back, I’ll be there for her. I know it may be hard, but in the end I think you’ll do the same.” Weiss unwraps her arm from Yang so she can look at her face and Yang pulls her into a much-needed hug.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>sniff</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Heh, I never thought the Ice Queen would be the one comforting me. How the tables have turned.” They both let out a small chuckle at the comment before finally separating after Yang stopped crying. They both began gazing back up at the sky before Weiss grabbed her mug and started to get up. She got about halfway up before she felt a hand grabbing her arm this time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not so fast, it’s your turn.” Yang pulled her back down before Weiss could answer. She wore a mask of confusion while beneath she was about to break.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I… don’t know what you mean.” Weiss had decided to just stare at the sky to keep from revealing any cracks in her mask to Yang. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Weiss… We can’t avoid this forever and I can see it eating you away from the inside.” Yang gave a comforting look at Weiss who was on the verge of breaking. “I know your time back in Atlas wasn’t the most ideal, but you and I both know what it is that is tearing you apart.” That was it. Weiss broke and choked on her own sobs as her entire body racked with the intensity of the sobs. Yang once again pulled Weiss into a bone-crushing embrace but this time it was for the other girl. Through broken sobs, Weiss tried to get out what she felt in the depths of herself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I… I failed… I promised her I’d be the best partner… She’s gone Yang and it’s my fault.” Weiss continued to try and repeat this while Yang let the other girl get her sobs out. Yang didn’t say anything the entire time that Weiss was repeating that phrase over and over again. It had been almost 5 minutes before Weiss could start to try and get a hold of herself again. Weiss was reduced to just mere sniffles now as she pulled back from Yang.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Weiss you and I both know you did everything you could for Ruby at that moment. Had you tried to get my sister back she may have killed her. We at least have hope that she is still alive thanks to you. You may not have been able to save her but with the options, you were given you gave us the most favorable outcome between her death and her kidnapping.” Yang put a comforting hand on Weiss’s shoulder as she finished consoling Weiss. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That's the problem though! I should have been able to do more! I should have saved her, she’s my partner damn it!” Weiss turned her head away and held back tears that threatened to fall. Yang shook Weiss’s shoulder lightly to get Weiss to look back at her. Once Weiss was looking at Yang, Yang shook her head before continuing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Weiss you can’t blame yourself for my sister’s kidnapping. I won’t let you. That’s not fair to put on yourself. Honestly, had I been in your position I would have done the same thing. I wouldn’t have known what to do and I would have backed away as soon as she raised the fire to my sister. I know this is something you’ve blamed yourself for over the 7 months we’ve been apart but you need to realize that this wasn’t on your shoulders.” Yang has a look of determination while Weiss processes her feelings. Weiss knows there was nothing more she could have done even if she felt like she should have. She knew it wasn’t all her fault but it felt like it. Weiss knew that what she needed to do now is look to the future of finding her partner. Weiss just gave a small nod to Yang, acknowledging that she understood that she needs to stop blaming herself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you think Cinder did with Ruby?” Weiss wanted to talk about her partner for the simple fact that she missed her. She felt this hole inside her like something that has always been there is gone. It felt like the home she was coming home to was no longer there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“As much as I hate to say it, nothing good.” Yang sighs and looks down knowing nothing good will come from what Cinder had planned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How do we gather information on her? I mean Qrow has been trying for months and has nothing. He hasn’t even got any information on Cinder which is highly unusual for her.” Weiss wanted to start trying to find her partner right away but she had no idea where to start. It had been 7 months and no one had any information.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Hmm</span>
  </em>
  <span>. If I know anything about Cinder, she can’t stay out of trouble so I’d guess we’ll hear something about her before too long. I suppose for now it’s just kinda a waiting game.” Yang has never been the most patient person and this situation is less than ideal. She hates that she has to sit and wait for her enemy to make the first move but they don’t have much of a choice. They sit in silence for longer than Yang expected them too and she looks at Weiss who looks like she’s about to cry again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Weiss? What’s wrong?” Yang turns fully to Weiss and starts to put a hand on the girl's shoulder but before she can Weiss speaks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just miss her so much.” Weiss turns her head away not ashamed but it’s the first time she’s really delved deep into her bottled up feelings and now that they're out it's hard to get them back. Yang felt empathy for her teammate. Yang herself definitely felt that hole inside her without her sister there but Weiss was almost being consumed by it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I do too…” Yang trails off hoping Weiss will continue hoping the other girl will get her feelings out so that she can use them as motivation to move forward.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yang I… I’ve never missed someone like this before. It’s like there's this hole where the feeling of home should be. I was so hopeful that when I got here I would get to hug her and tell her not to do something like that again and that I missed her and…” Yang took her right arm and put it around Weiss’s shoulder. Yang had a sneaking suspicion of what was going on but she wasn’t going to jump to conclusions either. They sat there while Weiss regained her composure. They were silent for a little while and Yang retracted her arm to put it behind her to prop herself up with her hands. Yang was startled when Weiss spoke with an unsure voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yang… I need to tell you something.” Yang stiffened a little bit as her thoughts ran rampant about what the hell could be so important the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Weiss</span>
  </em>
  <span> of all people had to announce it before she just said it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is it?” Yang asked in a soft tone not wanting the other girl to be uncomfortable to share something with her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I told you I had a lot of time left alone to think about things back at Atlas… Well, I realized something while I had all that time to think. I’m… I’m in love with Ruby.” Weiss stares at the ground not wanting to see Yang’s expression. She had a blush that covered her face and the tips of her ears. Yang chuckled and put her arm around Weiss’s shoulders. Weiss looked at her and she just smiled and looked at the sky.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ll get her back. I promise.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yo Red, get ready.” Merc walked into the room that Ruby had claimed at the place they were staying out, just on the outskirts of Mistral.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? Why? Where are we going?” Ruby sits up from her bed where she had been reading </span>
  <em>
    <span>The Thief and the Butcher.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re going to have some fun, it’s our day off after all and Mistral is literally right outside.” Ruby smiles and gets up to fix her hair and shift her outfit so it’s on right before heading out with Merc. When they exit and make their way towards Mistral it’s evening but Merc insisted that this was the best time to go to Mistral. Ruby agreed, saying she would love too what the nightlife is like at Mistral. They arrive and it's still an hour or two before nightfall so they go around hitting all kinds of shops from an armory to a bookstore. Merc ended buying a few comics from the book store and Ruby bought a couple of books about strategy and a book about a man with two souls which she found interesting. They restocked on dust at a dust shop that was nearby and ate at a small restaurant across from the bookstore. They laughed and had a great time, one of the best memories Ruby has. When they finished their meals and were content, Merc suggested they go take their bags back to the small shack they were staying at before heading to the more notable places in Mistral. Ruby chuckled at his implication but agreed and they walked back to the shack. By the time they were starting on their way back, the sun was almost through setting leaving nothing but darkness. When they got back to town it was already dark and Merc led the way to a bar that he was pretty well known at. They walked in and sat at the bar while waiting for the bartender who was also the owner to walk their way.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think you’re old enough to have a drink wouldn’t you say so Red?” Merc laughed as she snorted a bit. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sounds good to me, I don’t think I’ve ever actually had anything to drink.” The owner came over and Merc ordered two beers to which the owner never questioned because he had a good reputation with Merc. The bartender eventually came back over with two bottles with the caps popped off before Merc left the money and they hopped off the bar stools. They both took a long drink of beer before laughing at each other and opening the door to leave. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s not as bad as I thought it would be.” They both laughed at Ruby’s comment before clinking bottles and starting to walk back towards the direction of their shack. However, their laughs caught the attention of two people who had come into Mistral for dinner to see if they could turn up any information or rumors.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. No Recognition</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ruby has her first encounter with her two of her old teammates.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>OH IT'S GETTING GOOD. I'm actually drinking a Monster and a cup of coffee as I sit here writing Chapter 22 :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Yang decided earlier that day that Weiss needed something to get her mind off of Ruby. It was obviously eating away at Weiss and she thought dinner in town would be the perfect chance to do that for Weiss AND listen for any information or rumors that might prove useful. She had found a nice little restaurant across from a bookstore that she decided would be a good place to have dinner at. They hadn’t meant for it to get so late before they headed out for the restaurant, but nevertheless where they were on their way to the restaurant. Yang hadn’t paid much attention to their surroundings as they were walking and neither had Weiss up until she heard a familiar laugh. Weiss looked to her right to see the woman who she had been dying to see for so long, the woman that had been missing for 7 months, that she was in love with. Weiss grabbed Yang's jacket as she froze in place. Weiss went pale, even more so than usual as she stared at the pair. She saw her laughing with the jackass that worked for Cinder, the same guy that framed Yang back at Beacon. Yang looked back at Weiss to ask what was wrong when she followed Weiss’s gaze at the duo walking away from the bar. Yang stopped breathing and couldn’t get anything out. Her sister was walking with the man that she hated, that she wanted nothing more than to pound to a pulp. Here was her sister laughing with him, and </span>
  <em>
    <span>drinking</span>
  </em>
  <span> of all things. Before Yang could spit something out Weiss did first.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Ruby…?” Weiss’s voice was full of unrestrained emotion. She was overwhelmed with so many feelings at once she didn’t know what to focus on. She noticed the beer in the girl’s hand and felt anger grow within her. She </span>
  <em>
    <span>hated</span>
  </em>
  <span> alcohol, she had seen first hand what it did to people. Yet here her partner was drinking and laughing with the enemy. Ruby and Merc stopped laughing and turned to find the origin of the voice. Weiss felt her heart drop as she noticed the long scar across Ruby’s right jaw and cheek. ‘What had she gone through since the last time they saw each other?’ Weiss felt her guilt all over again as she looked at that awful scar. Merc’s expressions went from happy to fright, not because he was scared of the two girls but for them taking Ruby away from him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...?” Ruby looked at the two girls with a confused look and silently asked herself if she knew these people. She didn’t remember them at all. Ruby takes another sip of her drink before taking a step forward to answer them. Weiss grimaces at the sight and wants to knock the bottle away from her. “Uh, did you call my name?” Ruby asks thinking maybe she just imagined the voice in her head. She did note that the feeling she focuses on during her silver eyes training was growing in her stomach, which she didn’t understand but chalked it up to the alcohol. This time Yang steps forward having snapped out of her stupor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rubes… Why are you with him?” Ruby flinches at the nickname having only ever been called that by Emerald. Her face returns to its look of confusion once again as she takes in the other girl's words.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you a friend of Emerald? Is that why you know that nickname? I don’t know what you mean, Merc’s my partner.” Ruby notices the other two girl’s faces fall with everything that she said. She didn’t understand what was going on or why these people knew her. Maybe they were from some town in the past? No, she would have remembered two people who clearly had a sense of what color they liked to wear. Weiss’s anger and sadness grow as Ruby calls Mercury by a nickname and calls him, her </span>
  <em>
    <span>partner.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Yang feels a twinge of anger as Ruby asks if she was a </span>
  <em>
    <span>friend</span>
  </em>
  <span> of Emerald. As if she would ever be friends with that backstabbing-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ruby… do you not remember us?” Weiss asks the million-dollar question. She felt her breath hitch she braced herself for the answer. She doesn’t want to think that she doesn’t remember them but she doesn’t see any recognition in her partner’s eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Afraid not. Can I get a name to jog my memory a bit?” Weiss feels all the air leave her lungs at her answer. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Ruby doesn’t remember her.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Weiss realizes that everything she’s gone through in the past 7 months doesn’t even come close to how crestfallen she feels right now. Weiss refuses to let herself cry, she’s done enough of that today. Weiss is a little surprised at how blunt the other girl is now. The old Ruby was never that blunt with her answers especially if they weren’t what the other person wanted to hear. Yang steps forward again even after this blow to her heart, she refuses to believe she doesn’t remember them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s me, Yang, come on Rubes I’m your sister damn it!” Yang’s voice cracked and her vision was blurry with tears. Ruby tenses a bit at Yang’s outburst and turns to Mercury to give him an inquisitive look. Mercury has cold eyes looking at the pair in front of him refusing to look and Ruby.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry blondie, I don’t have a sister.” Ruby gives a half apologetic look as she shrugs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ruby… It’s me, Weiss. Weiss Schnee, your </span>
  <em>
    <span>partner.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Weiss looks at her almost pleadingly. Everyone looks at Ruby as she drops her beer letting the bottle shatter on the concrete. Ruby drops to her knees holding her head in her hands as she groans in pain. When she heard the girl say her name, it was as if a fist was slamming on a giant bolted door in her head, screaming to be let out. She felt the pounding throughout her head as she sat there in pain. Mercury drops down on one knee concerned as he puts his hand on her back to try and help her. This angers Yang and Weiss as they begin to move to get the guy off of her. Ruby raises Crescent Rose and has it pointed at the pair who put their hands up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hold up, you wannabe Power Rangers. Don’t move.” Ruby manages out through gritted teeth with one hand still clutching her head. Yang and Weiss take a step back shocked at being on the receiving end of Crescent Rose. At first, she doesn’t understand what's happening as it feels like a movie is playing out in her head but when it’s over she understands what it is. She regained a memory.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I...I remember you two.” Yang and Weiss both gasp in relief as they start to move towards Ruby. Mercury’s face drops as he takes a step backward. “You two… came to visit me. I was strapped to that chair and… Salem allowed me to see you two and someone else, some fanus girl. The fanus girl came in first… Blake, yea that was her name. She told me I could never save anyone because I was weak…” Another wave of pain crashed over Ruby as she clutched her head again. Mercury knew what this memory was and he dropped down again to help comfort his partner. Yang started forward again but stopped as Ruby once again reiterated that she still had Crescent Rose pointed at them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What!?” Yang’s eyes changed from soft lilac to enraged red. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You… blondie you walked in after she walked out. You called me pitiful and the worst leader at Beacon… you called me sis and… I called you… Wait. Are you my sister?! Who the hell says those things to her own sister?!” Ruby looked up anger in her eyes. Upon hearing what she had apparently ‘said’ her red eyes changed back into confused and sorrowful lilac. Ruby looked over to Weiss next with a look of pure rage at the girl in front of her. Weiss didn’t even want to know what Ruby was going to say, she knew that Yang had never said those things to Ruby and neither would Blake. She felt herself wanting to break at the look of hatred Ruby was giving her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And you… </span>
  <em>
    <span>Miss Schnee</span>
  </em>
  <span>, you were the worst of all. You called me a </span>
  <em>
    <span>disgusting</span>
  </em>
  <span> sight. You slapped me across the face, reopening my wound. You told me that you always hated me… and that you didn’t give two shits about me. I asked about some sort of promise… you said that was a lie too. I don’t understand what that means but the rest of it I do. Salem offered to take away all my pain after that and she did. I woke up and felt great, I met Merc and we’ve been partner’s ever since. I think I understand </span>
  <em>
    <span>exactly</span>
  </em>
  <span> the kind of people you are.” Ruby stands up with a sneer on her face but still has Crescent Rose ready. She fires at the sky instead of them as a warning. Merc has a smirk widening by the minute. The two girls’ noticed and wanted to beat him to a pulp. They were shocked, to say the least at what Ruby had just told them and said about them. Yang was the first to find her voice again, of the two.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sis… that wasn’t us. I don’t know how she made it look like it was us but it wasn’t. Please, sis, you have to believe me!” Yang took a few steps forward before she found Crescent Rose’s scythe around her middle and Ruby behind her, ready to cut her in two.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I would highly suggest you stop talking if you value your life. I’ve had a great day so I’m gonna let you go even if you would help my kill count.” Ruby let out a mirthless laugh as she put Crescent Rose back into its compact form and used her semblance to return to Merc’s side. Merc put his arm around her shoulders and they began walking towards their shack on the outside of town leaving two wide-eyed and hopeless women.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Hope</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Weiss and Yang reflect on the fact that Ruby lost her memory.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Yang drops to her knees as she tries to take in everything that just happened. She just lost her sister. She didn’t even know how to react so she started laughing. Weiss’s shock and heartbreak were broken by the sound of Yang laughing. </span>
  <em>
    <span>She had the NERVE to laugh?!</span>
  </em>
  <span> Weiss dropped to her knees and grabbed Yang by her collar so that she had to look Weiss in the eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“YOU THINK THIS IS-” Weiss stopped her rant to see that Yang’s laughs had changed into sobs as she let her tears stream down her face. Weiss let her shoulders sag as she held onto Yang’s collar and she let her own tears start to flow. They stayed like that for what felt like an eternity but was only a couple minutes in actuality. When their tears had subsided they stood up and brushed themselves off. They grabbed a bench nearby to gather their thoughts before either dared to speak. This time Weiss was the first to speak up and break the silence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Salem took her memories,” Weiss says as if she were stating that March was the third month of the year, as a fact.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I… I don’t think she took them but locked them away,” Yang says as she lets her head hang back off the backside of the bench. Weiss raises a brow in confusion as she answers the blonde.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean?” Weiss turns her body slightly so that she’s facing Yang as she knows this about to be a long conversation where to go from here.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, you heard her. She regained some sort of memory while we were talking. If Salem had taken her memories away completely I doubt she would be able to regain them.” Yang brings her head back up and looks to Weiss as she answers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... Is that what you think that was, a memory? Yang, you know good and well that neither of us-” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, I know. I think back at wherever they took her to they managed to trick Ruby into seeing us when in reality it wasn’t. I know none of us would say anything like to her… It does hurt though, to know what they said to her to make her break, they said everything Ruby feared each of us thought…” Yang trails off as she looks up at the stars.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did she really fear that I thought of her that way?” Weiss was taken aback, she had no idea that her partner feared Weiss thinking of her like that. She felt guilty once more for the fact that she never even knew her partner feared incompetence in her partner’s eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not entirely sure. I know she feared that she would never be the leader you deserved… she was always worried about proving herself and that moving her up two years wasn’t a mistake by Ozpin.” Weiss looked incredulously at Yang. Weiss never knew Ruby feared that she was never the leader she deserved. Ruby was the best leader she could have ever hoped for and now she wished she had told her that back at Beacon. She knew the girl was always trying to prove herself and now that it was spelled out for her, it seemed so obvious to Weiss. Weiss didn’t answer right away as she thought about everything that had transpired.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She was… different. She was cold.” Weiss looked at Yang who sighed in response not wanting to have acknowledged that fact. Yang is silent for a while before she finds the courage to say what she never wanted to.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Weiss.” Yang doesn’t look at Weiss not wanting to see the girl’s reaction so opting to stare ahead instead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmm?” Weiss jolted a bit at the sound of Yang’s dangerously calm voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She had the eyes of a killer.” At first, Weiss thought ‘well no shit, we all are’ but then she understood that Yang wasn’t talking about Grimm. She remembered what Ruby had said about adding to her kill count and her stomach dropped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, my gods. She wasn’t talking about Grimm…” Weiss looked back at Yang with frantic eyes searching for some sort of doubt that she could cling onto. She saw none.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I recognize her eyes because Raven had the same ones,” Yang states simply as she turns to Weiss with a sad smile. Neither girl said anything for a few more moments. Weiss had a hopeful thought pop into her head and wanted to see if Yang thought the same.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yang, if she regained a single memory then do you think..?” Weiss didn’t finish her thought as she let her hopeful eyes meet lilac. Yang smiled glad that Weiss finally caught on to what she had been thinking for a little while now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think so. I think we can get her memories back… I think we can get </span>
  <em>
    <span>her</span>
  </em>
  <span> back Weiss.” Yang smiles as she turns to Weiss who hugs her out of sheer happiness that she still has a chance to get her partner back. Yang knew that whatever pain she felt from her sister not remembering her, Weiss hurt worse. Realizing that the one person in the world that you’ve fallen in love with no longer remembers you had to hurt more than she would ever know, and she respected Weiss for being able to still find something positive after what they had been through.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ruby finally got her composure back after half an hour after the ‘incident’ and looked at Merc who was laying on the bed reading his comics. She knew that there was more to her past than anyone had ever let her in on before.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Merc.” Merc tensed as she said his name with no emotion in her voice at all. He knew this was inevitable but there still didn’t want to answer her questions about her past. He turns himself around and sits up on the bed, letting his hands fall between his legs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah?” He sounded defeated and Ruby knew he already knew what she was going to ask.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who were those people and why did they know me?” Ruby looked right at him as she spoke wanting to get to the heart of this conversation. Merc sighed as he looked up to meet her gaze.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Those were your old teammates.” Merc wasn’t going to outright lie to her but he had a plan on how to steer this conversation. Ruby looked wide-eyed at him as if he had just grown a third eye. “If your memory is any indication then you now know why you aren’t with them anymore. They lied and cheated you. They used you for their own benefit and so you left them and came to join us. Salem thought it would be a good idea to bring the three of them in one last time for you to talk to them. That’s the memory you recovered. As you know they were honest with how they felt about you the entire time and it destroyed you to know what they actually thought about you. Salem offered to take all of your pain away and that's what she did. Then you woke up and here we are.” Mercury finished his explanation and found Ruby deep in thought trying to process everything she had just been told. Ruby sat and processed for several minutes thinking out whether or not to trust what Mercury has told her. On one hand, he was her partner and had never misled her before but on the other everyone at Salem’s palace had kept her past from her. If this was really her past then she can see why they thought it better not to tell her, they thought that it was better to leave what hurt her in the past. She came to her conclusion and looked back up at Mercury with a resolved look on her face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Sigh. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Alright, I trust you. You’re my partner and so I’m choosing to trust you and put my faith in you.” Ruby smiles at him as she moves her hand to hold the locket that hung around her neck. Merc feels a wave of relief rush over him and he lets his body relax. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you and I’m sorry. I was only trying to protect you from the horrors from your past.” Merc gives her a reassuring smile. She returns her gaze to him and smiles as she gets up to give him a hug. He stands up to meet her halfway and they both let out a long sigh, neither of them had expected what went down tonight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I appreciate it, it’s just so much to take in.” Ruby says muffled by his shirt. They both jump a bit when a Seer comes through the door of the shack they were staying at. They both went over to it while it explained a new mission from Salem. They were to seek out an info broker tomorrow night within the city. The info broker was to give them information about the members in Qrow’s group. They both nodded knowing what their plan was for tomorrow and opting to get some sleep after the eventful night they had.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Why Does It Hurt?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Weiss head into town to clear her head from the previous night. Ruby and Mercury head to town to meet with an info broker.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Yang and Weiss had told Qrow and Team JNR what happened the previous night, that morning. Afterward, everyone needed some time to process and decide individually how they felt about everything. Yang and Weiss had spent most of their day together in town trying to take their mind off of last night and to grab some supplies for the house in Mistral. When they got back to the house they had opted to train for when they would inevitably meet up with Ruby and Cinder’s group again. By nightfall Yang had told Weiss she was headed for a shower while Weiss said she was gonna go take a stroll in town in turn. Yang questioned her motives at first thinking that Weiss was going to try to find Ruby but Weiss reassured her that she just wanted to go grab a coffee and walk around the shops. This was true, Weiss didn’t have any ulterior motive for wanting to go into town and quite frankly she wasn’t sure she was ready to see Ruby again after last night. Lucky or unlucky for her, she would see her team leader again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Coffee in hand, Weiss was making her way over toward one of the many clothing stores to take a look around when she spotted some people in the alley beside the building. At first glance, she didn’t think too much but as she started to look back towards the shops, out of the corner of her eyes she saw lots of red poking out from underneath the brown cloak one of the people wore. She stopped dead in her tracks and looked more intently at the trio this time. Weiss would recognize that red attire anywhere, but not the callous voice that came out of her mouth. It was Ruby and beside her, she noticed Mercury’s face from under his cloak too. She froze as she fully comprehended this and looked to the third member to find a fanus and Ruby giving him a large amount of money. Weiss wanted to get closer without alerting them so she opted for hiding behind a nearby dumpster and waiting for the right time to confront just the duo. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It felt like an eternity but was only a minute or two when the fanus left and left the pair alone. She dropped her coffee and dashed to confront the two. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop!” Ruby and Mercury both turned around in an instant with both their hands raised in a fighting position while Weiss raised Myrtenaster towards the pair. Weiss felt something within her twist at having to raise her weapon against Ruby but she had to swallow it as her hands began to shake. Ruby had left her weapon back at the shack because Cinder informed them that the info broker wouldn’t deal with them if they were armed. Lucky for her, she had been training in hand to hand combat for months now with one of the best. Ruby gritted her teeth at the sight of this girl again, Mercury had a similar reaction as he didn’t want any other memories to slip. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You again,” Ruby said callously while tightening her fists. “Look I let you go once, you should have let that be the end of it.” Ruby took a step forward as she spoke and let her voice darken. Weiss swallowed hard not ever remembering Ruby’s voice sounding like that but she wasn’t going to just abandon her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I won’t walk away from this.” Weiss took a much calmer tone than she thought she would be able to. Ruby looked a little taken aback at first but let out a mirthless laugh afterward.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You and I both know what you really thought of me.” Ruby now had a smirk on her face even though she wasn’t enjoying the fact that they were talking about a past she couldn’t remember. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, I’m afraid I don’t. I never said those things that you are claiming I said.” Weiss says with finality in her voice. Ruby let out a low growl as she was getting irritated with this conversation. Mercury stayed quiet for most of the conversation primarily because he didn’t know what to say or do to avoid the repeat of last night.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why can’t you just leave me alone? Whatever camaraderie we had obviously wasn’t real so whatever choice it was that I made to leave shouldn’t matter to you.” Ruby said after a pause hoping to avoid a battle because she really just wanted to go back to Cinder with the information they had gathered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What kind of teammate would I be if I just let you go?” Weiss says have taken her eyes off of Ruby. She hated how this Ruby thought her past with Weiss was nothing but a lie. As if on cue, at the word teammate Ruby dropped to the ground again with another headache. This one hurt worse than the last she did note as she groaned in pain. Weiss and Mercury seemed to have traded positions in this conversation. Weiss was frozen while Mercury was on his knees trying to talk Ruby through her pain again. This time Ruby tried to repress the headache not sure she even wanted her memories back at this point, of course, that didn’t help. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>This time she saw herself in front of an academy, she recalled the name of it being Beacon Academy. She got to her feet in front of what must have been Weiss while the girl yelled at her about some kind of explosion she had caused. A woman dressed in black and white entered from the side calling out Weiss for her family company’s darker side and that's when she realized the other girl must have been Blake. She remembers going to turn to thank Blake but she had already been walking away. The scene changed to a cliff with a grave on it. She was much younger and was crying but also heard someone else crying. The blonde girl from yesterday, Yang, her sister was there hugging her as they sat in front of a grave. The grave read Summer Rose. Ruby understood that to be her mother and that her mother must be dead. The two sisters just continued to sit there and cry into each other as the sunset. Once more the scene changed and she was lying on a bed in some kind of dorm. She recognized it as her dorm at Beacon and could see Yang and Blake on the two beds across the room. She assumed Weiss’s bed was below her and as if on cue the girl popped up beside her from the side of her bed. Weiss had coffee in her hand which she took gratefully and Weiss began to speak.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think you have what it takes to be a great leader. I want you to know that I’m going to be the best teammate you’ll ever have.” Weiss gives her a small but genuine smile as the rest of the memory plays out Ruby’s head begins to ease up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ruby suddenly remembering where she was and what’s happening, only now realizes she has streams of tears falling from her face. Instead of looking at Mercury she looks right at Weiss and has to muster her voice to say something.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Y-You made that promise to be the best teammate but… I don’t understand! Why would you lie! You never had to tell me some shit like that if you didn’t mean it! You said it yourself, the promise was a lie while I was in that chair… so why do I still feel hurt?” Ruby’s voice was hoarse and it made the guilt and sorrow wash over Weiss all over again. She knew that she never said the things to Ruby that she thought she did, but the fact that it hurt Ruby so much made her feel guilty anyway. Weiss was glad that she had regained that memory at least, that was something that hurt her the worst that Ruby didn’t remember. Weiss swallowed her sorrow so she could offer an answer at least to Ruby.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t lie, I meant it.” That was all it took for Ruby to have a mix of confusion, anger, and unexplained sadness, along with that same damn feeling that felt like home but wasn’t there. She didn’t understand it, any of it really, but she wanted to. By this point, Mercury grabbed Ruby, bridal style and ran but Weiss didn’t chase him. She knew Ruby was starting to remember more and more and that they would see each other again. She had a gut instinct that told her that the apotheosis of this entire ordeal was soon. She let out the breath she didn’t realize she was holding and let her muscles relax after being tensed up for the entirety of the encounter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mercury kept running, not wanting to stop just in case Weiss had chosen to chase them. Ruby let the tears flow because she didn’t even entirely understand why she had them in the first place. Mercury finally reached the shack they had been staying at and brought her to her room while Cinder and Emerald gave him questioning looks. When he returned he sat down and sighed before turning to the pair to explain the info broker and the encounter with Weiss.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Broken Trust</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ruby and Mercury have a conversation about her failing trust in him while Weiss talks with Qrow and Yang about Ruby.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
  <span>Mercury finished explaining the encounter with Weiss and left the two to comprehend the information from the info broker. He made his way towards Ruby’s room and opened the door to find her sitting at the end of her bed, stifling her sniffles. She was trying to wrap her head around her feelings and the new memories she had gotten. Mercury walked in a closed the door behind him before sitting down in the chair at her desk. It's silent for a few moments, neither of them knew how to start the conversation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why did- Can I really trust you?” Ruby looks from her hands to Mercury whose face fell at her words. He hesitates before answering which doesn’t help his case, but he had been in shock.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course you can. Didn’t I say that they lied to you? That memory that you regained was one of the many times she lied to you. I know it’s confusing but I know deep down you know what I'm saying is the truth. I didn’t tell you anything from your past because it was what was best for you, I swear.” Mercury leaned forward in his chair trying to catch the eyes of Ruby but she refused to meet them. She thought maybe deep down she did think he was telling the truth. She knows Mercury and he wouldn’t lie to her if it wasn’t for her protection. She did think it would be best to not tell him about the other two memories though because the one at her mother’s grave contradicted the theory of them betraying her. She just gave a small nod having acknowledged his words but still needing some time to herself to work things out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think you’re right, deep down I do trust you and think that’s the truth. I just need some time to think about it, my head is still pounding so I think I’m gonna go to bed.” Ruby lays down and turns her back to Mercury who walks out of her room dejected. He also goes to bed after being exhausted from the events that had transpired, leaving Emerald and Cinder to come up with the plan for the attack on Haven.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Weiss enters the house being visibly shaken. She’s glad to see that Qrow seems to be the only one still up but as soon as he sees her he can tell something’s wrong. Before he can ask what’s wrong she makes a simple statement that Qrow understands all the implications of.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just talked with Ruby.” Qrow gets up and walks upstairs to the room where Yang and Weiss have been staying, while Weiss sits down on the couch with her head in her hands. After a few moments, Qrow returned with Yang who had obviously just woken up but was concerned about the fact that Weiss had to run into Ruby alone this time. Once everyone was settled down around the coffee table Weiss looked up with exhausted eyes and sat back against the couch before she started. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was window shopping when I caught sight of three people in cloaks in the alley beside the store I was looking at. I only glanced at them but as I turned back to the store I saw the red from underneath one of the cloaks and knew then and there who it was. I hid behind the dumpster in the alley to wait for them to finish talking to whoever it was, I think they were buying information since I saw Ruby hand him a large handful of money. Anyway, I waited for their conversation to end and when it did I yelled at them to stop and had gone to stand where the third person had been earlier. I held Myrtenaster up at them and they both raised their hands in a defensive position.” Yang snorts at the thought of Ruby trying to protect herself with hand to hand combat. She looks at Weiss, thinking to find a similar expression of amusement but found a stone cold one. “Her stance was one of someone who's seen a lot of combat Yang, it wasn’t the meek one we both remembered.” Weiss finishes leaving a shocked Yank not having expected that. After taking a moment to think about it, it made sense since she was now a veteran killer. Yang sighs before looking back to Weiss for her to continue. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, I just wasn’t expecting to hear my sister became a trained killer and combat expert in 8 months,” Yang says it with apathy but Weiss and Qrow understood all too well what she was actually feeling. Weiss sighed before continuing her recount.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She got angry with me for not heeding her warning and she said that we both knew what I thought of her so why should I care. I asked her what kind of teammate I would be then and she got another one of those headaches leading her to recover a memory.” Weiss was silent for a moment while Qrow and Yang shared a concerned look.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Weiss?” Yang asks leaning forward from her position opposite the other girl. Weiss takes a shaky breath before answering.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She remembered my promise to be the best teammate ever. She… She started screaming at me after that, about why I lied to her and… why it hurt so bad.” Weiss trailed off at the final part still hearing the girl’s broken cries ringing in her ears as Qrow and Yang interpreted what she had told them. After a few minutes, Yang finally spoke. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re definitely going to get her back Weiss. She still cares even if she doesn’t know it and she doesn’t realize it.” Yang looks to Weiss with determined eyes and Weiss nods at Yang.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>A few nights later</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“The goal if this is not to take out their little merry band but to get the relic from the vault. If we kill some of them in the process then that’s just a bonus but don’t focus too much on that. The White Fang will also be attacking Beacon giving us the perfect distraction to gain the relic. Lionhardt will be inviting Qrow and his little team into Haven and we will be ambushing them. Do you three understand the objective?” Cinder finishes her explanation of the strategy and looks at her teammates. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yea, this should be fun,” Emerald states with a devious smile growing on her face. Mercury nods in agreement with a smirk of his own.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s gonna be fun as hell.” Ruby states with a small smile of her own. She had chosen to trust in her teammates that her past was as they say it was and that they weren’t lying. This team was really all she knew and she hoped that by defeating those people it would stop making her life so complicated. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey everybody up and at ‘em, Lionhardt has summoned us to Haven.” Qrow yells outside all the rooms upstairs. He walks back downstairs and grabs his weapon as they all file in downstairs one by one. Once their all downstairs he gives them all a minute to wake up before everyone grabs their respected weapons. They adjust their clothes and belts of dust before heading out the door to meet with Lionhardt. Qrow thought it was odd for him to have summoned them so late but he thought maybe he just got important news that couldn’t wait any further. They made their way to Haven academy unbeknownst to all of them what would unfold that night.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I HAVE ANOTHER IDEA FOR A FIC! It's about Ruby getting taken again so oof sorry, but it's actually Tyrian kidnaps her the night of Yang and Weiss's return. I won't even start working on it till after this one but be on the lookout for it after this one!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Unexpected Challenger</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Let the battle begin!</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So I have a job interview on Sunday! Hopefully, I get the job, but that would slow down how many chapters I upload on here per week! I will keep you updated though if anything changes!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Qrow enters Haven academy with Team JNR, Oscar, Yang, and Weiss wondering what Lionhardt could’ve possibly found out that they all needed to come in the middle of the night. As they approached, Lionhardt queried why they brought their weapons with them and Qrow just gave him a strange look as if he had just stated that the sky is blue. Before he has a chance to answer, Yang speaks up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mom?” Yang had been looking at a raven that had been perched among the balcony in the corner of the room. Everyone turned to follow Yang’s gaze and saw the bird fly towards Lionhardt before turning into Raven Branwen behind the man’s back. The group gasps as Raven turns to face them with a smirk stretching across her face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What a merry band you are.” Raven sneers at Qrow as she begins to descend the stairs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <b>Raven</b>
  <span>. What are you doing here?” Qrow spit back at her as she stopped in front of the group.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aww is that any way to talk to your sister?” Raven’s smirk had ye to leave her face as she knew she was getting under his skin and Yang’s, putting her in a preferable position. Hazel walks in from behind them and shuts the doors.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No one’s getting in… and no one’s getting out.” Hazel grunts out as he closes the large doors, closing off the group’s only escape route.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I simply made the best choice given to me,” Raven says with a shrug. Qrow looks up to Lionhardt with wide eyes knowing what that meant. He was working with Salem.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Leo… What have you done?!” Qrow’s angry at this point realizing he’s walked into a trap. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t get mad brother, Leo simply looked at all the information and made the best decision,” Raven says knowing she was talking about more than just Lionhardt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You have Spring, don’t you?” Qrow says staring at the floor as he thinks a way out of this situation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mmhm. Sure do.” Raven crosses her arms and lets her grin widen as her brother puts all the pieces together.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then let’s work together! Raven, together we can stop Salem!” Qrow offers a hand after his outburst as an invitation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Tch.</span>
  </em>
  <span> There is no stopping Salem. Why don’t you understand that… she does.” Before anyone can ask what she means, Raven creates a portal and a fireball shoots out hitting Qrow and knocking him back a few feet. Stepping out of the portal is Cinder followed by Emerald, Vernal, Mercury, and then Ruby.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hello boys and girls, it’s so nice to see you all again.” Cinder says sarcastically as she puts her hand on her hip. At the sight of Ruby, everyone in the group stops breathing and stares. At that moment it clicked for everyone about what Raven had said, she wasn’t talking about Cinder working with Salem… she was talking about </span>
  <em>
    <span>Ruby.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Outside the White Fang have already begun to start attaching the bombs to Haven’s academy. Adam is ordering them to move back once all the bombs have been set. Blake appears atop one of the buildings and all of the fanus emerge from the forest while Ilia is deactivating the bombs one by one. Blake and Sun charge and begin to attack members of the White Fang, trying to make their way to Adam.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ruby’s eyes narrow as she recognizes Weiss and she scoffs. For Qrow, this was the real wake up call he needed. He didn’t doubt what Yang and Weiss had told him, but it was something else entirely to see it for his own eyes. Weiss’s blood ran cold at the thought of having to fight her partner, she had been hoping for Ruby to regain her memories back and come back to them. She didn’t want to think about the fact that Ruby wouldn’t show any hesitation or mercy in this fight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How long… How long have you been with them?!” Qrow asked the question out loud as he let his anger get the better of him. He meant the query more towards Raven, but he was also asking Ruby. Neither of them were the ones to speak however, Cinder took this opportunity to play with her toys.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aww, don’t take it so personally. Your sister was a recent addition, however, the lion, on the other hand, has been with us for a very long time. Or? Perhaps, could you have been talking about my teammate?” Cinder turns sideways as Ruby walks up beside her and Cinder puts an arm around Ruby’s shoulder. “Would you like to tell them, or shall I do the honor?” Cinder asks giving Ruby a devious smirk. Until now Ruby’s face had been stoic, showing little to no emotion. At this question, however, a dark and threatening grin stretched across her face as she looked out at the group.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’d love to, 8 months I’ve been working with Salem, we’ve been like a family with… similar hobbies one could say.” Ruby’s voice was callous and shedding no hint of remorse for any of the things she's done. Ruby and Cinder chuckle at the end knowing exactly what Ruby meant. Weiss, Yang, and Qrow froze as Ruby spoke. They let the information sink in that she’s been without her memories for 8 months and that she’s been working with them for almost as long as she’s been gone. They were also uneasy about what Ruby meant by hobbies. Standing before them was clearly not the same girl that blew up on her first day of Beacon, no, here was a battled trained Huntress who had taken lives and was hard-bitten. It was at this point that one of the group members broke, but it wasn’t the one any of them expected to.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How can you stand there with her… how did you become so broken inside?! To talk about taking lives like it’s nothing?! You say these things and stand with her… ALL WITH A DAMN SMILE ON YOUR FACE!” Jaune screams at Ruby because he can’t believe that the girl who became his first friend is now acting like this, he wants his friend back. A silence settles around them as Cinder and Ruby share a look and a nod of understanding. They had all taken dibs on who they wanted to fight. Cinder would take Jaune, Mercury and Ruby would take Yang, Raven would take Qrow, Vernal would take Weiss, Hazel and Emerald would take Ren and Nora, and Lionhardt would take Oscar. Ruby looks right at Yang with a smug expression and Yang flinches a bit, feeling as if Ruby had just looked into her soul. Cinder looks at Jaune as she says three simple words to cause a battle to ensue.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come get some.” Cinder finishes with a smirk as Jaune charges at her. Cinder summons two swords and easily blocks the boy’s attack while Ruby uses Crescent Rose to propel herself at Yang who is taken off guard and is knocked a few feet. Mercury falls in beside her as Yang manages to get to her feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on blondie, I know you got more than that… </span>
  <b>
    <em>sis.</em>
  </b>
  <span>” Ruby practically spit the last part knowing it would sting the other girl and like she thought, it hit its mark as the other girl visibly froze. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yang!” Weiss was about to back up her teammate when Vernal sprang at her. Weiss had to raise her weapon so she could block the attack knowing Yang was going to have to take them both on by herself. She hated the idea of Yang having to fight Ruby but right now, she didn’t have any other options.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m more than just a name,” Weiss grunts out as she pushes Vernal off of her. Weiss points her weapon at Vernal as Vernal gets back into an offensive stance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Prove it.” They are locked in battle as well when Raven lunges at Qrow causing him to raise his weapon in response. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You and me, </span>
  <b>brother,</b>
  <span>” Raven smirks as she attacks Qrow. Hazel also charges at Nora and Ren while Oscar charges at Lionhardt to keep him from running away. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vernal knocked Weiss away and Weiss used her glyphs to give her some momentum to lunge back at Vernal. Vernal uses both of her weapons to block Weiss’s attack so she opts to use her boot in the girl’s abdomen causing the girl to skid back a few feet while letting out an audible ‘oof.’ Weiss looks over at Yang who is overwhelmed by the silver and red duo. Weiss knows if Ruby doesn’t get her memories back in this battle one of them might not live through it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ruby! You have to listen to me! Yang, Blake and I never said those things to you, these people have tricked you!” Ruby flinched at the call of her name and Mercury looked over to see if she was alright, giving Yang an opportunity to send the guy flying into the far wall across the room. He hits the wall as his aura flashes and he coughs up some blood.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Merc! Damn you!” Ruby turns her attention back towards Yang and starts attacking with a more insidious intent now. Weiss resorts to dodging Vernal instead of fully fighting back so that she can focus on trying to get Ruby to remember something else. Ruby was seeing red however and was fighting with everything within her against Yang and Yang was losing. Ruby saw a clear opening and was going to take the opportunity but was blocked but an unexpected challenger. Blake parries Ruby’s attack and falls in line with Yang as she gets into a ready stance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So why are we fighting Ruby?” Blake asks as Weiss and Yang stare jaws open at their teammate.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. I Remember</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Not gonna give you a summary on this one :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Uhm…” Yang didn’t even really know what to say because one, she didn’t know how to explain the Ruby situation to her and the fact that Blake was standing in front of her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Ahem,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Ruby has little to no memory of us so we have to fight her but don't kill her, that's the goal here,” Weiss spoke for Yang since she had no idea what to say to her partner at the moment. Blake’s face fell at the information that Ruby didn’t remember her and she looked back at Ruby, flattening her ears in the process. She saw anger in Ruby’s eyes that she’d never seen before. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Tch,</span>
  </em>
  <span> If you don’t fight like you mean to kill me then I should have an easier job, killing all of you.” Ruby had a smug smile that widened at the sight of Blake’s shock. Blake was stunned at Ruby’s words and just how different she was. Blake noted that the girl was more callous and blunt than she ever used to be. Blake and Yang give each other a slight nod and they both start towards Ruby. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Blake and Yang are giving Ruby a run for her money as the girl was having to resort her semblance in some instances to dodge attacks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ruby, now that we’re all here Blake will tell you too that she nev-” Weiss was cut off by an angry and irritated Ruby.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Would you please shut the hell up! With what I remember I can see that you people are liars and cheat people so why should I give a damn about what you’re saying now?!” Ruby turns to her with rage, confusion, sorrow and something else Weiss couldn’t understand. Weiss didn’t understand why Ruby looked sorrowful but she was running out of time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Weiss is struggling within her own head to come up with something that will get through to the girl when she saw Yang find an opening and sent her sister flying into the wall causing the girl’s aura to shatter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“YANG!” Weiss turned to Yang with a small amount of anger for her being so rough with Ruby. Yang turns around and gives an apologetic look and shrugs as if to say ‘she was trying to kill me, I had to stop her.’ Vernal is advancing upon her and Weiss is now in a losing fight but she doesn’t want to quit trying to get Ruby to remember something. Weiss summons a wall of ice to try and give her more time to summon and come up with something to say to Ruby but it was in vain because Vernal cut through it and used her weapons to break Weiss’s aura. Weiss raises her own weapon to fight back against Vernal and resorts to trying to talk to Ruby without looking at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ru-” Weiss starts but is once again cut off by Ruby who is now trying to get up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why can’t you just leave me alone, huh? Why are you trying so hard for such a moot point?” Ruby asked earnestly as she got back to her feet and had to resort to leaning on Crescent Rose for support. Weiss’s answer proves to be just as earnest as she looks right at Ruby when she speaks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because I promised you to be the best teammate you’d ever have and I refuse to </span>
  <b>
    <em>ever</em>
  </b>
  <span> give up on you.” Weiss has to quickly turn around as Vernal was still continuing her advance on the girl but Weiss did see Ruby drop to her knees out of her peripheral vision.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ruby doubles over in so much more pain than she had ever had with one of these migraines prior. Ruby’s tears flow freely down her face as the pain only continues to increase exponentially. She felt the bolts break as she is overwhelmed with all of her memories flooding back into her. She sees so many memories all at once, but there was one commonality in all of them, ‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>these people aren’t what I’ve been told they are.’</span>
  </em>
  <span> Ruby knows now as she is regaining her memories that these people are the most important people in her life and the people who she’s been with for the past eight months are the </span>
  <em>
    <span>enemy.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Ruby doesn’t even know what to think about the fact that Mercury knew everything that she did but still treated her the way he did. It hurts to know that she has to turn her back on him but she knows that she can’t stay with those people, it’s not where she belongs. She belongs with the people she has said and done such horrible things over the past month. As all of this is happening she can only faintly hear the sounds of battle and people screaming her name. She hears Mercury, Yang, Blake, and Weiss all yelling her name but it’s like everything's in slow motion, she wonders if she has a concussion. Ruby looks up having now noticed that her tears have dried to see Weiss getting kicked across the room and getting up to her knees. Ruby can faintly see Cinder out of the corner of her eye with a foot on Jaune’s stomach and a spear raised in hand, aimed at Weiss. It was as if the fog was lifted from her and she understood now what that feeling was that she had been concentrating on when she practiced her silver eyes, it was love. She understood who it was connected to and what exactly it meant, it was Weiss and she loved her. Ruby understood that there was only one option for her in this situation but she didn’t care about the consequences. Ruby snapped out of stupor long enough to use her semblance and made a beeline for Weiss. The entire room fell silent as everyone was taking in what just happened. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Weiss’s turned around as she heard a sharp inhale of air behind her. Weiss went wide-eyed and speechless at what she saw in front of her. She saw Ruby’s back to her with lingering flower petals from the girl’s semblance, while the girl’s arms fell to her side. Weiss heard the drip of liquid on the floor and looked down to see the spear coming out of Ruby’s back where it had gone through her abdomen and the girl’s blood dripping on the floor. Ruby let out a violent cough that resulted in her coughing up a massive amount of blood. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ruby…you...” Weiss’s tears started to spill over as she realized that her partner just saved her life, but that she was dying.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“RUBY!” Mercury yelled as he started to sprint towards Ruby. He was intercepted by Myrtenaster at his throat. He looked up to meet Weiss who had tears streaming down her face harder than she had ever had before.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I won’t let you lay a finger on her.” Weiss managed to get out although her voice cracked towards the end with uncontrollable emotion. The sound of maniacal laughter caused everyone in the room to snap their heads in the direction of its owner.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How fitting! The rose betrayed us in the end only to get herself killed! It’s too perfect.” Cinder put her face in her Grimm hand as she laughed uncontrollably at the turn of events. Cinder finally was able to reduce herself to mere chuckles when she looked at Jaune who now had tears of his own streaming down his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you going to let her </span>
  <em>
    <span>die</span>
  </em>
  <span> too?” Cinder managed out through chuckles and giving him a deranged look. Jaune started to get up and Mercury took another step forward before everyone froze again when Ruby looked up to speak after coughing violently again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry Mercury but…” Ruby trailed off as she looked at Weiss and gave a small smile but turned it into a sorrowful look as she knew what she was about to do would kill her if the blood loss didn’t first. “...I remember everything.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before anyone knew what was happening, the entirety of the room was engulfed in white and the only sounds heard were Cinder’s screams of agony, multiple pairs of feet scrambling towards the vault and the sound of a body hitting the floor.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I HAVE A JOB INTERVIEW TM AND I'M FREAKING OUT</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0024"><h2>24. More Than Enough</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The aftermath of Ruby using her silver eyes! The last chapter will be up tomorrow!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Everyone covered their eyes at the flash of white light so when they uncovered them what they didn’t expect was to see three people missing who had been there moments before. Blake, Yang, and Weiss all had the color drain from their faces and their tears ran freely as they looked at their team leader, sister, something more, lying face down in a pool of her blood. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“NO!” Weiss ran to her side and dropped her weapon to turn the girl over in her arms. Weiss looks at the wound that is still bleeding into the girl's clothes and made the decision to tear a part of her skirt to make a tourniquet. Weiss finishes tying it around the girl’s torso as she applies the pressure of her hands against the wounds while letting her tears run. “Damn it, I promised you… no please don’t go… not now.” Weiss manages out through her throat constricting with the sobs she held back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mercury started to make his way over to try and get Weiss off of her but Blake intercepted with tears of her own but managing to put on a threatening face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t.” Blake wanted her words to bite the man to his very core. Blake looks to Yang and nods at the vault giving her the signal to go after Raven and the others. Yang gets herself together and nods as she begins sprinting towards the vault.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No!” Emerald grabs her arm and Yang’s eyes go blood red, but she blinks it back as she detaches her arm so that she can go into the vault. Emerald turns to Blake, who would be at a disadvantage facing two on one. Weiss continues to sit and hold Ruby hoping by some miracle the bleeding would stop. By this time Jaune had made his way over to her and got Weiss to put Ruby down so that he could apply pressure to the wound. Jaune let his own tears fall as he says over and over that this wasn’t how things were supposed to be. Ren arrives and takes Ruby’s pulse giving Weiss and Jaune a worried look.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Weiss looked at him with frantic eyes hoping that she wasn’t dead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Her pulse… it’s fading rapidly.” Ren looks down at the girl not wanting to look at Weiss’s reaction. Weiss snapped her head back in the direction of Ruby and grabbed Ruby’s hand carefully and gently squeezed it. Weiss wasn’t sure she would be able to move on if Ruby were to die, she couldn’t imagine her life without her and she knew that now better than ever. Jaune wished for the gods to not take anyone else from him and as if hearing his prayers, he begins to amplify Ruby’s aura. Ren’s face lit up as he looked at the white aura engulfing the other girl’s body and he retook her pulse. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jaune… your semblance… It's healing her!” Ren looked back to Jaune and Weiss who wore similar expressions of shock but hopeful. Weiss watched as the girl’s heavily labored breaths became easier the longer she sat there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jaune… whatever you’re doing, don’t stop… please.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I swear I’ll bring her back to us Weiss.” Jaune answers knowing Weiss needed Ruby more than any of them and that he wasn’t going to let his friend die. Weiss stood up and looked at Jaune with a determined but pleading look as she turned back to help Blake. Blake turned to her side when she noticed Weiss stood next to her, weapon ready to help her out. Blake flattened her ears when she noticed Ruby’s blood staining Weiss’s hands and parts of her skirt. Blake’s look silently conveyed the question and Weiss merely smiled at her before answering.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She’s gonna be alright.” Blake’s ears shot up and she changed into a look of relief. They both turned back to the pair in front of them knowing they would never let the pair get past them to Ruby.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Checkmate?” Blake asks knowing it's been a while but that she trusted her team more than anything, especially in battle. Weiss smiles and nods her head as the duo heads into battle against Emerald and Mercury.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The battles around Jaune pause as Yang returns from the vault with some sort of lamp in hand. Jaune was on the verge of passing out from how much aura he had poured into Ruby. He had been healing her for at least half an hour and the girl was still only barely stable with no signs of waking up. He knows that using whatever power she did put her in a far more critical position than she had been in when she had only been impaled, not that being impaled was far from death anyway. At the sight of Yang, everyone froze but this gave Mercury and Emerald the perfect chance to escape. As they ran for the door Mercury spared one last glance at his partner as tears ran down his face knowing that he won’t ever get to have his little sister back again. Qrow went to greet Yang and ask her about what happened in the vault while Blake and Weiss came running to Jaune, Ren, and Ruby.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why hasn’t she woken up yet?!” Weiss was on her knees by Ruby’s side as she looked from Jaune to Ren. Blake sat beside Weiss with an expression of concern with her ears flat against her hair. Jaune had to stop healing at this point because his nose started to bleed from the amount of aura he had just poured into Ruby, Jaune began to fall over when Ren caught him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whoa… easy, you’ve only just found your semblance.” Jaune brought himself upright and wiped the blood from his face with the back of his hand as Blake and Weiss looked between them concerned. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She’s finally in stable condition but…” Jaune paused causing the other two women to tense, not wanting to hear any more bad news about Ruby. “...She must have known this too but, using whatever that power was almost killed her instantly.” Weiss’s face drained of color and Blake wore one full of shock. Weiss couldn’t find the words but she understood what all the pieces put together meant, luckily Blake had a voice for both of them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...So in other words, she knew she would be killing herself, but she did it anyway if it meant protecting us?” Weiss looked at Blake thankful that she had the voice Weiss had lost. Jaune looked between the two girls before he nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yea that looks to be the case.” Blake took all this information in but still wanted some kind of explanation of what was happening.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Weiss what exactly </span>
  <b>
    <em>is</em>
  </b>
  <span> going on.” Weiss hated having to go through this nightmare again but she knew Blake deserved to know.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, Ruby was taken by Cinder and taken to Salem, the leader of all the Grimm, after the Fall of Beacon. I can explain more about Salem at a later time. Salem presented illusions of the three of us to Ruby and had them say things to her that Ruby feared each of us thought. Salem ended up taking her memories and Ruby became their puppet for the last 8 months.” Weiss finished and Blake herself instinctively looking back at Ruby with a look of sorrow. She had no idea that Ruby had endured this kind of nightmare and now understood why Weiss and Yang had been so much more emotional than her during this battle. Blake said the only thing that had been going through her mind after what Weiss told her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m glad she’s back with us.” Weis looked at her and smiled while she squeezed Ruby’s hand that she had been holding.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...So am I.” Blake was a bit shocked at the loving tone Weiss had taken as she looked at Ruby but was glad that Weiss had found someone, especially someone that could melt that icy heart of hers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Guess I can’t call you the Ice Queen anymore, huh?.” Blake chuckled as she got up and saw Weiss’s face. Weiss was blushing furiously and had her mouth agape trying to come up with something to say back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh hush you.” Weiss turned back to Ruby and wore a smile of content and happiness as she looked at Ruby. Blake went to go talk to her parents before everyone left to go back to the house in Mistral. Yang had offered to carry Ruby back, but Weiss refused, saying that she was her partner and it was her responsibility. This earned her a slew of jabs from Blake and Yang but she didn’t care because the feeling she had that she knew Ruby was going to be okay was more than enough.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0025"><h2>25. Can I Ask About Your Scars?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>This is it! The finale! Weiss and Ruby have a late-night talk.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>That night...</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Ruby felt the whip on her skin as she let out more screams of agony, each time they hurt more than the last because the whip was becoming soaked in her blood. She finally felt one connect with her right jaw. Ruby bolted straight up in the bed breathing in sharply as she grimaced, clutching her abdomen. She was in a cold sweat from the memory that had just played out in her mind while asleep. She could feel her entire body shaking from reliving the memory and unconsciously brought the hand that had been grabbing her abdomen up to her cheek across her scar. It wasn’t until someone called her name that she realized she wasn’t with Salem anymore and that she didn’t recognize the room she was in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ruby?” Weiss had been grabbing some water from the kitchen before she returned to Ruby’s bedside. When she had walked inside she saw Ruby bolt upright and stay in a dazed like state for a few moments before she spoke up. Her voice was full of concern but also a small amount of apprehension since she wasn’t sure how Ruby was going to react upon having all her memories back yet. Ruby slowly moved her head to the left and saw Weiss standing in front of the closed door with water. Ruby let the cold sweat droplets continue to fall from her face as she went through an array of emotions but settling on fear and shame. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“W-Weiss?” Ruby’s voice cracked and she hated how small she felt at that moment. Ruby looked away not wanting to be judged, or even hated by Weiss after everything that had happened. She had treated her terribly and even raised her weapon to her. How was she supposed to face her after this? She must hate her after all that she’s done right? She probably wants Ruby dead for everything that happened. She hates me, she must. I kno- </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ruby’s thoughts were cut off by the feeling of a hand on her shoulder, turning her back towards Weiss. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ruby.” This time Weiss was confident but still concerned in her tone of voice. She didn’t want Ruby to be scared or afraid of her. She wanted to be able to talk her through everything. When Ruby finally turned around, Weiss can see the tears falling from Ruby’s eyes and she was a little taken aback not having expected that when the girl turned around. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Weiss I-I… I’m so sorry. I’m so-” Ruby manages to get the first part out through her constricting throat but she is cut off when Weiss pulls her into a fierce hug. Weiss lets her own tears fall because she knows Ruby can’t see them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay, It’s okay,” Weiss repeats as they stay in the hug for the duration of Ruby’s tears. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s not though! I was awful to you and Yang and Blake. I might have tried to kill any of you… Weiss, it’s not alright. You should hate me, I don't understand.” Ruby buried her head into Weiss’s shoulder as she cried and ranted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ruby you couldn’t have done anything, you didn’t remember anything. It’s like I said earlier I would never have given up on you, there’s no way I could hate you.” Weiss smiles and begins rubbing small circles on the girl’s back to try and soothe her. It’s quiet for a little while as Ruby tries to process everything and to get herself together.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t deserve you as my partner.” Ruby states after moments of comfortable silence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That's my line you know.” Weiss’s lips turn upwards ever so slightly. Ruby pulls back immediately in utter shock and confusion. Before Ruby can utter protests, Weiss starts talking again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If it weren’t for you we wouldn’t be here right now. You were able to change me at Beacon for the better and I can’t thank you enough for that. You let me see how wrong I was and helped change me into a more compassionate person.” Ruby stares at her in shock before she figures out what to say.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It got you stuck with a partner that says some pretty shitty things to you though.” Ruby looks away thinking about some of the things she said to Weiss in the back alleyway. Ruby sits cross-legged with the covers over her legs while she tries to avoid eye contact with Weiss.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ruby, I’m not blaming you. While some of the things you said to me did hurt, I brushed them off as well as I could because I understood that, that wasn’t the Ruby I knew... I wish you would stop blaming yourself.” Weiss added the last part softer than the rest and the statement caused Ruby to snap her head back in the direction of Weiss with wide eyes. Ruby knew she had been blaming herself even if there wasn’t anything she could have done to prevent what happened. The room is silent for longer than Weiss would have liked and she thought that maybe she overstepped but Ruby spoke up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I… know. It’s going to take a little time for that though. The guilt I feel for saying those things to you is going to need a little more time for me to come to terms with.” Ruby turned back to Weiss with a small smile and Weiss gave a sigh of relief. She may have not fixed that problem but they were at least going in the right direction. She thought it best to change the subject so she asked about one of the many major questions she had for the girl, this one at the forefront of her mind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How did you get your scars? If you don’t mind me asking of course.” Weiss added the last part quickly knowing this is her Ruby but she’s still different from the one at Beacon. Weiss knew Ruby would open up to her at Beacon but this was something a little more serious and this was a different Ruby. Ruby takes in a deep breath before answering not sure if Weiss </span>
  <b>
    <em>really</em>
  </b>
  <span> wanted to know the answer to that question.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you sure you want to know?” Ruby looks at Weiss who’s eyes widen slightly. Weiss is concerned all over again with Ruby asking her that, letting her thoughts run rampant with scenarios of what could have happened. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, I want to know who hurt you.” Weiss steels herself not entirely sure if she is ready for the answer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Sigh. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Alright. My nightmare that I woke up from… it was the memory of how I got these scars.” Ruby starts and Weiss flinches knowing that whatever it was must be bad for Ruby to jolt out of sleep like that and be so shaken afterward. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“When I woke up after the fall of Beacon, I was strapped to a chair, kinda like the other memory I told you about where I saw you, Yang and Blake. This time, however, Cinder, Mercury, and Emerald stood in the room with a table in front of Cinder. There were multiple…” Ruby pauses and Weiss furrows her eyebrows together in concern. She’s about to reach for Ruby’s knee when the girl starts talking again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...Tools on the table. Cinder orders Mercury and Emerald to leave, leaving the two of us. She grabbed a piece of white cloth from the table and walked over to me. I started trying to break from my bindings but it didn’t matter, they were too tight. She tied the cloth behind my head and told me she liked it when her victims were vulnerable.” Weiss unconsciously puts a hand on Ruby’s knee more for her own comfort than Ruby’s. If her stomach twisting in knots was any indication she didn’t have a good feeling about where this was going. Ruby relaxed a little under Weiss’s touch but she still didn’t want to look at Weiss while she talked in case Weiss thought she was weak after this was over. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She grabbed what I assume was a whip from the table and lashed me over and over and over. I have no idea how much time passed but each one hurt more than the last with the whip being soaked in more blood each time. After she was satisfied she grabbed two knives and stuck them straight through my palms and then just left me there…” Ruby was shaking and in a cold sweat again as she attempted to face away from Weiss, not wanting her to see her in this state. She couldn’t move very far because of Weiss’s vice grip on her knee. Ruby looks back over as Weiss’s grip tightens and she sees Weiss with tears of her own that she is very obviously trying to restrain from falling. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry, that's all my fault… I was too weak I couldn’t stop her! I-” Weiss was rambling when Ruby hesitantly pulled her into a hug. Weiss gasped a little and cried softly into Ruby’s shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorr-'' Weiss began to try and apologize again but Ruby cut her off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t apologize. It’s not your fault and I don’t blame you for anything that happened nor would I ever blame you for it.” Ruby tightened her grip around Weiss’s shoulders trying to get the woman to stop crying.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But she was right there! With you over her shoulder, how do you not blame me?” 

</span></p>
<p>
  <span>“Because I know who you are Weiss and if there was anything you could have done you would have. Someone told me recently that I should stop blaming myself for something that I couldn’t control so I’m gonna tell you the same. Please don’t blame yourself any longer than you already have.” Weiss stiffens a bit as she remembers telling Ruby that only moments ago and she snickers a bit. She tightens her hold on Ruby before she answers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You may be older but you’re still a dolt, you know that?” Ruby chuckles and hums in response before answering.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Weiss freezes slightly as she lets a small blush dusting over her cheeks. Ruby has a small blush over her face and she’s very glad that Weiss can’t see her face in that moment but she gets nervous as Weiss still hasn’t answered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... Neither would I.” Weiss finally answers and mentally slaps herself at how dumb she thought she sounded as her blush grew across her face more. Weiss pulls back from the hug as she attempts to calm the calamity that is happening within her. She is able too when her thoughts turn to her next question she had from the battle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ruby?” Ruby looks back at Weiss whereas she had been looking at the ceiling to try and calm her own blush.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yea?” Ruby furrows her eyebrows as she noticed that Weiss’s voice is very calm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why did you save my life?” Weiss looks into Ruby’s eyes as if they had the answer. Ruby was taken aback not having expected that shift in the conversation but she knew it was coming eventually. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... Because if it meant you lived, I would sacrifice my life for you.” Ruby knew Weiss wanted a serious answer so she gave it. She looked right at Weiss even though she knew she could feel how red hot her cheeks were. Weiss’s eyes widened slowly as she listened to what Ruby said. She couldn’t stop her own blush from trying to creep on her cheeks. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... Ruby, I’m so beyond extremely grateful for what you did, don't get me wrong you saved my life but…” Weiss turned away as tears pricked her eyes. When she turned back to Ruby they had already begun to fall. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... Do you have any idea how I felt when I saw your lifeless body on the floor? I thought you were going to die, I ripped my skirt to try and stop the bleeding but if it weren’t for Jaune discovering his healing semblance you’d be dead right now and I don’t know what I would have done. Ruby, I can’t lose you, I was so terrified that I wouldn’t ever get to tell you-” Weiss stopped when she felt Ruby’s hand on her cheek and her thumb rubbing the tears away as she let the tears flow freely. Ruby’s other hand had taken Weiss’s into her own. They sat like that for a few moments while Weiss let everything out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry Weiss, I didn’t know it would hurt you this bad, I never meant to hurt you. Weiss closed her eyes and nodded in Ruby’s hand before pulling back to look at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know you never meant to, you were trying to protect me and I understand that. Just please, stay alive for me.” Weiss lets a blush spread across her cheeks as she realized what she just said, her filter was obviously slacking on its job. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I will, I promise Weiss.” Ruby lets her own blush spread across her face at Weiss’s comment before settling on something she remembered Weiss saying earlier.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What did you mean earlier when you said you wouldn't have been able to tell me something?” Ruby raises an eyebrow as Weiss turned away knowing she had slipped up. Even the tips of Weiss's ears were red from her blush. With it being night, a blush would be harder to spot but unlucky for Weiss due to how much she was blushing it was almost impossible to hide. Weiss knew she couldn’t lie to Ruby especially after everything they had talked about tonight and so she took a deep breath before deciding she was going to just say it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ruby… I know you just got your memories back and everything is still so new and I don’t know if feelings are different when you lose memories so I might screw this up but-” Ruby grabbed Weiss’s shoulders gently to try and stop her from rambling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, it’s okay. Weiss, it’s just me.” Ruby gave her a smile that made Weiss’s heart do a backflip.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I-I know that.” Weiss takes another deep breath. “Ruby… I’m in love with you, I realized it back at Atlas. When I found out that you lost your memories it crushed me to think that you had forgotten about me. When I thought you were going to die after saving my life I hated everything, I hated to think that you were going to die without knowing how I felt. I hated the idea of life without you… I-I understand if you don’t feel the same, I-'' Weiss was pleasantly surprised by the feeling of lips on her own. Ruby had Weiss’s wrist in her hands. Weiss closed her eyes and melted against those lips that she loved so much. After a moment Ruby pulled back leaving Weiss wanting more. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love you too Weiss. I… well, if you told your embarrassing confession I suppose it's my turn huh?” Ruby rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, you feel the same and wait… Hey, it wasn’t that bad!” Weiss turned away from her, arms crossed, with a furious blush on her face from her supposed ‘embarrassing confession’. She was ecstatic that Ruby felt the same, she’d never felt happier. She was intrigued as to the girl's own confession.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, of course, I do Weiss. I wouldn’t sacrifice myself for just anybody you know. When I first found out about my silver-eyed power I was told to concentrate on the deep connections in my life and protecting them from harm. At first, there was this feeling inside me that I didn’t understand, it felt like where home should have been but wasn’t.” Weiss let her arms fall and turned back to Ruby as she was shocked since she had that same feeling when Ruby had been missing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I could feel that this connection was deeper than anything else I had with anyone but there wasn’t a face to who this feeling was attached to so it confused the hell out of me. When I met you again for the first time again, that feeling grew astronomically and I believe that it’s part of what caused me to have those episodes of me getting my memories back.” Ruby pauses as she scratches her cheek nervously with a blush across her cheeks. She looks away knowing this is so much more embarrassing to say out loud. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Ahem.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Anyway, the final time when I got all my memories back I understood that feeling in full and what it means and who that connection was too and, well you get the idea. That’s when I knew I had to save your life and here we are.” Ruby coughs into the back of her hand as she tries to recover from her confession. Weiss is something between amused and flattered. She’s amused watching Ruby struggle through her confession more than she did and flattered by it at the same time. Weiss slides her hand on Ruby’s face to make her turn towards her before kissing her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re a real dolt, you know that?'' Weiss gives a crooked smile at her when they separate. Ruby chuckles slightly before answering.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How could I forget with you around?” Weiss laughs back never having felt this happy in her life. Ruby notices how happy Weiss is and can’t help but tease her on it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aw, have I melted the Ice Queen’s heart?” Weiss' face goes from pale white to straight red as she struggles to find something to come up with.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I see you still love to tease.” Ruby chuckles at that too, glad that she has kept that part of herself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is the happiest I’ve ever seen you, Weiss, I’m just glad that you’re happy.” Ruby gives a smile that Weiss’ heart still couldn’t quite handle. Weiss’s first thought is that this exact comment is one of the reasons she loves Ruby so much. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can be so cheesy too.” Weiss can’t help but smile. After they sit in comfortable silence for a few moments just taking in each other's presence Weiss notes that Ruby is still injured and needs to get some more rest. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You should get some rest, you are still injured.” Ruby tenses slightly remembering what had woken her up in the first place and didn’t really want to go back to sleep. Weiss notices the girl’s body tense and raises an eyebrow. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you alright?” Weiss put a hand on Ruby’s arm and she relaxed under Weiss’s touch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just don’t want to have another nightmare about my tor- er Cinder.” Ruby didn’t want to sound weak but she still didn’t feel good about going to sleep. Weiss is silent for a moment before she answers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Move over.” Ruby’s face immediately went as red as her cloak.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Ruby starts to move over anyway but still asks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You really need to get some rest. If you have a nightmare I can wake you up or calm you down so that you can get some proper rest.” Weiss turned away as she answered knowing how this looked and sounded but she swore she wasn’t thinking that she really just wanted to hold Ruby. Who exactly was she convincing? No one. But she still told herself it anyway. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, Weiss.” Ruby laid on her back arm above her head when Weiss rolled over and wrapped her arms around Ruby’s torso. Ruby rolled over so her back was against Weiss’s front and Weiss snuggled in closer. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Someone’s eager.” Ruby chuckled softly and Weiss nestled into Ruby’s shoulder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh hush,” Weiss responded sleepily. She let herself take in the smell of roses and she snuggled into her partner with the scent of her partner all around her. She didn’t think she could be happier at that moment. She realized that now when she called Ruby her partner it had two meanings and she smiled at that. Ruby felt Weiss smile against her shoulder and said one final thing before deciding to try and get some sleep.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love you.” Weiss smiled ever wider before she gave a response.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love you too” Weiss responded almost asleep and she kissed the back of Ruby’s neck before the two fell into the most peaceful sleep either of them had ever had.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>That morning</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“BLAKE I KNEW IT! COME LOOK!” Yang brought Blake to the door to the room Ruby was staying in and she cracked it open slightly for Blake to look inside. Ruby was now facing Weiss with her face in Weiss’s collar bone. Wiess still had her arms around the girl’s torso but luckily for them, the blanket hid that. Blake smiled at the sight of them and grabbed Yang by the back of the shirt, dragging her away to keep her from waking them up.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So I was basically offered the job at the job interview so updates will definitely be not as frequent. I actually have two ideas for different fics one of them would b longer than the other. I will probably upload the shorter one over the weekend at some point. The longer one I'm not sure when I'll be able to start that one so please bear with me. Thank you all so much for the support on this fic I honestly can't thank you enough.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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